La Preghiera Blog

Aumenta il turismo in Umbria

2012-01-28T21:15:00.001+01:00

Aumenta il turismo in Umbria

Nel 2011 si è registrato un aumento del 7%
Spinto dalla pubblicazione dei dati Istat sul movimento turistico nel 2010 l'assessore regionale Bracco ha voluto precisare che nel periodo gennaio-novembre 2011, il turismo in Umbria ha fatto registrare, rispetto all'analogo periodo del 2010, un incremento pari al 7,65 per cento degli arrivi e al 7,20 delle presenze. Complessivamente, gli arrivi ammontano a due milioni 91 mila 223, mentre le presenze toccano quota 5 milioni 824 mila 761.

Un bel balzo in avanti, se si confrontano le cifre con quelle dell'anno passato, quando il totale degli arrivi era stato di 1 milione 942 mila 578 e quello delle presenze pari a 5 milioni 433 mila 755.
E il "trend" positivo si conferma nello scorso mese di novembre, che, rispetto allo stesso mese del 2010, fa registrare un +2,68 per cento negli arrivi ed un +3,33 per cento nelle presenze. Ovvero, traducendo le percentuali, sono stati 102 mila 254 i turisti registrati nelle strutture ricettive umbre, alberghiere ed extra-alberghiere, al momento dell'arrivo (rispetto ai 99 mila 582 del novembre 2010) e 255 mila 644 quelli calcolati in base al numero dei pernottamenti (247 mila 399 nel novembre 2010).

Sono questi gli ultimi dati relativi ai flussi turistici in Umbria, raccolti dal Servizio Turismo della Regione, relativi al movimento comprensoriale (i comprensori delle Province di Perugia e Terni) ed alla stagionalità. " Un quadro positivo e confortante, soprattutto in tempi di crisi. Una classifica – aggiunge Bracco -, che sarebbe comunque ancora migliore, se si considerasse che la 'performance' turistica dell'Umbria, regione priva di sbocchi sul mare, dovrebbe essere considerata al netto degli arrivi e delle presenze relative al turismo balneare". Una puntualizzazione che comunque non cambia la situazione perché ogni regione ha le sue peculiarità e quelle deve saper sfruttare al meglio, anche se il turismo di massa approderà e stazionerà difficilmente in Umbria e mai potrà assumere numeri da capogiro vista la dimensione della regione "I dati raccolti – conclude l'assessore Bracco – confermano la predilezione del turista per un'ampia ed articolata offerta tematica, basata su borghi e centri storici, ambiente, manifestazioni culturali, sport, benessere ed enogastronomia". Da gennaio a novembre 2011, sono stati rispettivamente 1 milione 796 mila 677 gli arrivi e 5 milioni 117 mila 254 le presenze nella provincia di Perugia, 294 mila 546 e 707 mila 507 nella provincia di Terni. Sul totale generale della regione, gli stranieri hanno fatto registrare 617 mila 422 arrivi e 2 milioni 91 mila 877 presenze.

http://www.saturnonotizie.it/news/leggi/42484/Aumenta-il-turismo-in-Umbria.html

2012 International Wine Tourism Conference & Workshop in Perugia, Umbria

2012-01-28T21:01:00.001+01:00

The 4th Annual International Wine Tourism Conference & Workshop will be held in the city of Perugia in the rustic central Italian region of Umbria on Jan 30 – Feb 2, 2012.

Three days with over 40 talks, presentations, panel discussions and workshops combined with opportunities to taste world class wines makes this an experience not to be missed.

IWINETC is the leading international event for the Wine tourism industry taking place from Monday 30th January to Wednesday 1st February 2012 in the stunning city of Perugia, Umbria, Italy.

For more info visit: www.iwinetc.com
http://www.italialiving.com/articles/food-wine/2012-international-wine-tourism-conference-workshop-in-perugia-umbria/

Foodie fun in Umbria

2012-01-20T23:20:00.002+01:00

Words and Pictures by Germaine Stafford

Ten tasty ideas on how to get the best from Italy’s ‘Green Heart’.

1. Seek sophisticated sanctuary

If relaxing in the discreet luxury of a converted 12th Century monastery and taking part in truffle hunts, cooking lessons and visits to local food markets is your idea of fun, then Lilliana and John Tunstill’s beautiful guest house, La Preghiera, is definitely the answer to your prayers.

www.lapreghiera.com

http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy-featured/umbria/foodie-fun-umbria

SHORT BREAK ENGLISH / ITALIANO

2011-09-19T19:43:00.000+02:00

Il stupefacente successo del "Let' Bonus" che ha postato super offerta sulle camere di La Preghiera Residenza D'Epoca convince noi di continuare con questa splendida idea e offrire dal 22 al 27 Settembre e dal 14 al 17 e 21 al 24 ottobre le camere rimanenti ad un costo eccezionale di € 98 per camera per due persone per una notte, per il soggiorno di due o tre notti il prezzo e ancora più vantaggioso. Contattateci al più presto per ricevere questa offerta meravigliosa.
Tutti i pernottamenti includono colazione a buffet
Offerte di Let's Bonus sono cosi vantaggiosi grazie ad un marketing ben pensato. Prendete il massimo vantaggio del offerta per le ultime camere disponibili rimaste
Tel: 075 930 2428 email info@lapreghiera.com. Vacanze, La Preghiera o Villa Moscatelli anche per matrimoni www.weddingsumbria.com

The amazing success of the Let’s Bonus offer for discounted rooms at La Preghiera prompts us to offer the remaining spaces on the 22nd until 27th Sept, and 14 until 17 Oct and 21 to 24 Oct, the letsbonus days, at the astonishing rate of only € 98 per room for two people for one night and even less for two or three nights. Phone or email for the best possible offer.
All bookings include buffet breakfast. Only these dates are available.
LetsBonus spaces are discounted because of block bookings. Take full advantage while the offer is in force and the last few rooms are still unbooked. Phone 0039 075 930 2428. email info@lapreghiera.com.
The kids are back at school so Ryanair flights to Perugia/Asissi ( 20 mins) are very sensibly priced.
Short break Villa Moscatelli or La Preghiera and maybe a wedding trial visit. www.weddingsumbria.com

Italian “Spys”

2011-07-26T16:30:00.003+02:00

Yes, Spys, not spies. This refers to a collection of caricatures produced by Leslie Ward, for the Vanity Fair company, between the 1860’s and 1914, and he used “Spy” as his trade mark. Carlo Pellegrini also produced a prolific amount of work and his Vanity Fair cartoons are signed “Ape”.

Many of these illustrations now command high prices, and a good selection are to be found in La Preghiera, www.lapreghiera.com.

An enlarged history of these fabulous works is contained in www.soldierssoldiers.com, under prints and postcards.

And why Italian Spys? Well, Pellegrini was Italian, and Vanity Fair produced sketches of a number of notable Italians, including King Emannuelle, the Duke of Aosta, ambassadors, men of the day, musicians and artists, and our businesses are in Umbria, Italy.

What would you do with a million if you won the lottery?

2011-07-20T12:56:00.001+02:00

So, they asked, “
What indeed? Keep it under the bed? In a tin box in the garden shed? In pounds, dollars or euro? Buy gold? Silver? Rare earths? Invest in shares?

It really is a bit of a problem.

Gold is now higher than it ever was, when priced in dollars, but, as the dollar has lost some 50% of its buying power in the last 5 years, where does that leave the true value of gold. Look back over the last 20 years, to the last price spike and you will see that the return on investment over that period is only some 3.5%. Big deal! Silver seems a better bet, but the price is controlled by a very efficient cartel, a silver Mafia, so what chance do you stand? Rare earths, what do you know about them, can you buy it by the bagful, or do you need to invest in shares through a broker? Perhaps Bernie Madoff could advise you, or Goldman Sachs who are currently under investigation by the Securities Exchange Commission for all sorts of shenanigans. And what about all those tungsten bars that may well be in the middle of the world’s gold reserves.

Dollars values are falling almost as quickly as they can print them, with the Asians getting rid of suitcases-full in European property purchases, See Richard Ellis’ and Savilles’ reports. Pounds too are falling fast and are now approaching parity with the Euro. The Euro, even with the Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Irish and Spanish problems remains strong, and the prospects of more Mediterranean countries joining the EEC shortly will only increase the market for home grown goods. The really fantastic news that Russia and Europe will take down border controls and abolish visas within the next five years will add several tens of millions of prospective consumers to Europe. But, yes, money ain’t what it used to be. And in five years time the value of a Euro will be less than it is today, and that’s called inflation.

The Americans and British are spending squillions on wars in foreign countries, and are killing lots of people, when their own poor are poorer, when their hospitals and schools need more funding and their politicians become more and more inept, corrupt and self seeking.

Throughout modern history, since the Industrial Revolution, money has been generated by the land owners, who branched into property, then manufacturing, and later, retail trading. High Street retail is being hit by on-line buying, and manufacturing undercut by the Asians, but property still seems to be king. Again, see Ellis’ and Savilles’ reports of Asian investment in prime city centre commercial properties. Rents can be adjusted to allow for the depreciations of inflation, fiat, or paper promises, but dollars, pounds and euro cannot be re-valued, upgraded or inflated.

So, OK, a million is what you asked about investing, so city centre prime commercial properties are not for you, so what then? USA…………mmmmm, no! UK………..mmmm, no! Europe…….mmmm, mebbee. But which part? Spain and Portugal, sure if you want wall to wall drunken holidaymakers, but then for that you could go to Cancun, or many of the Mediterranean islands. In France and Germany, the climate isn’t too good, and in newly joined EEC countries, the language, the law, the culture, mmmmm? So really it comes down to Italy.

The area south of Roma is too difficult to cope with, n’Draga, Camorra and Mafia do exist, they are not just on the films or in Chicago. The sea-sides are every bit as crowded as anywhere else with Germans, Brits, Dutch, Scandinavians, Russians and Ukranians slowly cooking with a thin layer of basting. The north of Italy is surprisingly wet with the average rainfall in Milan being slightly higher than Manchester. Which leaves the middle, the old Holy Roman Empire, Lazio, which is full of Romans, Tuscany which is full of Brits; so much so that it is often referred to as Chiantieshire; and the Marche, full of mountains, ravines and sea-side strips which are rapidly being over developed, like Spain and Portugal. Which really only leaves Umbria, which with hills or mountains on all sides, no seaboard, no navigable rivers, no real railways, and, until recently no highways, motorways or airports. Undiscovered by the masses, and still full of traditional charm and courtesy, with its own culture of respect, hospitality and cuisine. The birthplace of western art, and Giotto, Rafaello, Michaelangelo, Luca Signorelli, Piero della Francesca all lived, worked and painted in Umbria. And if it wasn’t for that little scrap of a man, Saint Francis, the Christian religion, with the cruel, vindictive, overpowering and corrupt church fathers, would have gone down the tubes long ago.

Why Italy generally, well all musical terms, many musical instruments and a huge amount of composers came from this country, Marco Polo and Columbus, started here, the word opera, which means work, is adopted world wide. Design, food and motor cars all helped to create Italy as a cultural centre.

In Umbria, and our Upper Tiber Valley, no new building permits in the countryside are issued, have been issued in the last twenty five years and won’t be issued in the future, If one has an existing building, a plot, or a ruin, one can rebuild, and enlarge if required and as they ain’t making any more medieval ruins, and lots of people would like one, the pressure is on the existing stock, and rarity multiplied by desirability is what causes prices to increase.

Or you could put your money into stocks, shares or bonds………..or back a horse……or, a couple of weeks ago, invested in Murdoch.

But better still, invest in Umbria.

See also the April blog on www.propertiesumbria.com

Events

2011-07-17T10:57:00.000+02:00

Well it seems you missed the Umbria Jazz Festival, held in Perugia last week, Prince, BB King, Sergio Mendes and Liza Minelli headed the cast, and dozens of other groups appeared, played and performed in concerts, in the open air, on street corners and in the piazzas.

You also missed the Bonsciano Fly-In. Light aircraft and enthusiasts converged on Umbria a couple of weeks ago for a three day festival. Great stuff if you like small planes.

The Perugia International Chocolate Festival is coming up in the Autumn, so try not to miss that as well.

Concerto 16 Luglio - Valdichiana

2011-07-06T14:38:00.003+02:00

6a edizione del Festivaldichiana al Valdichiana Outlet Village (presso Foiano della Chiana, in provincia di Arezzo).
Grande notte di musica, spettacolo e divertimento. Radio Cuore è la radio ufficiale e la produzione ha scelto anche per quest´anno di puntare su artisti amati dal pubblico giovane, tra cui FRANCESCO RENGA, MATIA BAZAR, ANNA TATANGELO, GEMELLI DIVERSI, AIRWAYS, BTWINS.
Condotto da Marco Maffei ed Alessia Ventura.
Ingresso gratuito

Valdichiana Outlet Village
Via Enzo Ferrari, 5
Foiano della Chiana (AR)

WHY DO YOU DO IT?

2011-06-20T12:53:00.000+02:00

This was a question asked yesterday at breakfast at La Preghiera, Umbria, Italy, where we live, the lady who posed the question was actually staying in Villa Moscatelli, our adjacent but smaller house, and she was one of the last guests left over from the wedding we had just organised in our grounds and chapel.

We were discussing the local historical attractions of Assisi and Saint Francis, Perugia and Perugino (and not just the Baci chocolates), Montone and the strong-arm Fortebraccio, Caprese and Michaelangelo, Cortona and Under the Tuscan Sun, Lake Trasimeno and Hannibal and a few other local worthies. During the conversation vintage postcards, lead soldiers, local house sales and renovations, and film locations, were gently promoted.

Why do you do it, was the question directed at me by a lady of mature years with whom I had briefly discussed the merits of Reel Streets. We both agreed on the nostalgic aspect for the old stars and their films, but the lady had never considered the then and now association of the locations used in the films, the changes in the buildings, the shops, the vehicles, the clothes, the behaviour, the culture, the very way we now live and react to the world and the people around us, that has changed, and is continuing to change, during our lifetimes

Imagine, the Western cultures coming to the aid of the Arab nations. Sixty years ago they were peoples in the way of the pursuit of the Italian and German forces, and if a few hundred, or a few thousand got killed and all their houses destroyed, tough. And what if Mussolini’s troops invaded, massacred and gassed a few thousand Ethiopians, Somalis and Eritreans, not really any of our business, or that of the League of Nations.
Sixty years before that, we, the northern Europeans, were actively attempting to destroy or enslave the African peoples. Us, the Brits in Egypt and the Sudan, the French and Spanish in Morocco, and a bit further south the Belgians in the Congo, the Germans in West Africa, and us, actually fighting our own kind, northern Europeans, the God-fearing and Christian Dutch in South Africa.

Today, happily, many of us lean over backwards to assist those in need, we are more ready to accept into our homes and families those persons of a different cultural background, of a different religion and of a different skin colour.

But the question was, “Why do you do it”? These old films, what is the attraction of these old sites, these locations? I turned the question around and asked the lady why she was going to visit Assisi in the morning and, with her husband, the site of the Roman battle at Trasimeno, tomorrow. “Ah, because I have a deep interest in Saint Francis, and my husband just loves military history”.

“So, walking in the footsteps of the famous. This is historically induced tourism”, I suggested. “Just so”, she readily agreed. Had the lady ever been to Haworth , Bronte’ countryside? “Oh yes, and we loved it”. But the Bronte’ area is based on the sisters’ success as novelists, which was fiction, not fact, I pointed out. “Oh yes, but it was lovely to walk among the lanes and imagine it all” said the lady. Tourism induced by fiction I suggested. “Yes”, the lady sighed, “but so romantic”.

So, I said, the reason why we do it is a combination of romance, fiction, nostalgia, history and interest, can I offer you the DVD of “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” for you to view before you go to Assisi, and even “Romeo and Juliet”, Zefferelli’s masterpiece, before you go off to Bologna? Oh, We’ve seen that, that’s why we want to go there.

Exactly, I said, film induced tourism. Fiction by Shakespeare, interpreted by Zefferelli, made into “fact” by the studio publicity men, and underpinned by the tourist office of Bologna. “Oh yes, said she, so romantic, so sad”.

And that, said I, is why, in part, we do it.
www.reelstreets.com
www.lapreghiera.com
www.villamoscatelli.com
www.weddingsumbria.com

VALUES

2011-06-20T12:16:00.000+02:00

Gold, cash, money, silver, property.

There are various interpretations of the word value. There is the value of human relationships, family values, religious values and moral values, all of which, I’m informed, are gradually crumbling away.
Then there is the value of the freedom of speech, maybe this is a moral value, but it is a value that many people do not have, but with the coming of computers and the internet, mobile phones and digital cameras, this freedom is seriously impinging the power of the dictators. Mubarak, Egypt; Bashar, Syria; Gaddafi, Libya; Thein Sein, Burma; Mugabe, Zimbabwe; Salih, Yemen; and all the rest, and even in Italy the press is not completely free, and is mainly controlled by the premier “Bunga Bunga” Berlusconi.
This later value is fine for the philosophers, politicians and newscasters, but doesn’t relate to the value that is of the greatest worldwide interest, the value of money. Call it specie, fiat, bullion, stock, shares or bonds, this aspect of money has more daily column inches in the press than any of the other values combined, ergo greatest world-wide interest..
But, what is the real value of these flimsy and ephemeral articles on which we base our belief for our future, our children’s future, and that of generations as yet not considered. Bullion, generally regarded as the greatest hedge, and the safest investment, suddenly, in mid-May lost some 17% of its value. Safe? Whoops!
We are running out of fuels, sea levels are rising, food prices are becoming beyond the reach of the poor, and the big financial houses, when interest rates are so low, still have the power to charge 30% or more interest on debts incurred with credit cards. These same banks, which include Barclays, UBS, Citigroup and Bank of America, are all under serious investigation, for insider communications, by the various financial regulatory bodies. The Santander bank; remember the old Abbey National; is in such difficulties that in many parts of South America, if you apply for one of their credit cards you can obtain discounts on goods subsequently purchased, of up to 50%. This discount isn’t given by the shopkeeper, but it is a desperate attempt on behalf of the bank to keep bringing in cash and increasing their customer base.
The MBNA bank, and others, by skilful manipulation of the terms and conditions which none of us ever bother to read, now have a scheme in which your minimum monthly payment no longer covers the interest charged, which means you will pay forever if you can’t break the cycle.
So, apart from taking to the streets, attacking financial institutions, declaring bankruptcy or creating some form of mayhem, which doesn’t help the situation, but for a while is a great way to let off steam, what can one do? The poor, unhappily, can do nothing except gradually become overwhelmed by a mountain of debt and monthly repayments, which will probably follow them to the grave.
The value of British money verses the Euro; remember a few years ago when the Brits used to scoff at Euroland, and the Yanks would ask “ How much is that in real money”; has fallen by almost 50% in the past half dozen years. The US money is even worse off. Ah, you say, what about Greece and Portugal? What about them? Have you seen the figures for children living, or existing, below the poverty line? The once great, I use the diminutive, Britain, is amongst the worst of the European nations. Charity should begin at home.
The pound and the dollar are still falling, despite all the dire predictions about the break-up, or breakdown, of Europe and its monetary system. And, what is more, the buying power of the Euro ain’t what it used to be either, food, fuel and the general cost of living continue to rise.
So, lets take gold or silver, no, you take them, look at the 30 year track record and you’ll see what rotten investments they really are, yes, they’re at an all time high, when based on dollars, which are at an all time low. Imagine the paper profit you could have made if your gold was priced in Zimbabwean money. You’d be a squillionaire! But of course, as I mentioned, these commodities fell back by seventeen and a half percent in early May. Did you buy on the way up or sell on the way down?
Maybe you’d be better off backing a horse, or buying shares in Parmalat or Enron, or bonds from Bernie Madoff.
Seriously though, bricks and mortar are still really your best bet, but bricks and mortar, not plasterboard on pinewood frames stapled together and covered with tar-paper. But where to buy? Florida has ten years supply of houses waiting to be sold, in dollars, so prices will probably remain low for years to come. They also have tornados. Spain has more houses, with or without planning permission, or gas, or water, or electricity, or drainage, than they know what to do with. North Africa and the Middle East, including Turkey have language, law and culture so very different to Western Europe that it is not easy to communicate, or to understand, notwithstanding their revolutions.
So, we’re left with France and Italy. If you’re happy with the superior French attitude, then fine, but of course all the really desirable parts were snapped up years ago, long before “A Year in Provence” became so popular among the straw-hated, rugby-shirted, crimplene-clad English. Which leaves Italy. The north is either wet or sticky, Milan has more rain than Manchester. Calabria and the south are booming, Jerry and his builders are slapping up houses on every available plot, with, or in some cases, possibly without, the required and necessary documentation. Tuscany suffers from a glut of Brits, Germans and Americans, which is fine if you want to start your own small ghetto of like-minded nationals, but has suffered so much from the publicity attracted by “Under the Tuscan Sun”, that a riposte has been written by a local native Italian called “Under Too Much Tuscan Sun”.
So where then? Umbria, that’s where. Still for the most part old fashioned, low key, traditional and honest, with many of the values that some of you are looking for. Still undiscovered by the mass of tourists. The birthplace of Western art and responsible for the re-birth, the renaissance, of Western religion. Mass developments for tourists don’t exist, only pre-existing properties can be restored, no green-field sites are available for speculators and therefore the existing property values remain constant.
Most properties for sale in the countryside are owned by local farmers, who generally inherited them from their families twenty, thirty or more years ago, and if the price they want isn’t currently available, then they’ll wait until it is. After all they’ve waited half a lifetime so far, and another few years won’t make any difference. The prices therefore remain steady and the old equation of desirability / availability remains in force. As long as more people want an item than there are items available then the price / value remains. There are untold amounts of paper money in the world which the people in charge really do not want, so it falls in value, the reverse is true of property in the green heart of Italy. ”Showcased”, to use an unfortunate phrase in popular usage, on the site www.propertiesumbria.com.
And, if it all goes really wrong, at least you can shelter from the storm in a stone-built late medieval house, rather than wrapping yourself in paper money, or burning it to keep warm, or even using a gold brick for a pillow.

John Tunstill 2011

The cost of property

2011-05-26T14:59:00.001+02:00

The cost of property in our area, North Umbria is, after a two year slump, recovering. Easter saw a steady trickle of prospective house buyers anxious to secure bargains before the prices took off again. How about booking a property weekend based at La Preghiera, discussions, site visits, questions and answers.

Maybe property isn’t for you, but perhaps religion and history is. St Francis, lived and worked just down the road in Asissi, and passed up and down the Tiber Valley between his workplace and the isolated monastery of La Verna. We have many churches and religious buildings in the area and the church of La Preghiera, built on Roman, if not Etruscan, temple foundations is often used for the most wonderful and romantic weddings. The site www.weddingsumbria.com gives full details and suggestions whilst accommodation in La Preghiera or Villa Moscatelli will provide rooms to satisfy the most discerning traveller.

Not too far from La Verna is Caprese Michaelangelo where the great man was born. He learned his trade from a small man in Perugia, Perugino. Giotto, Piero della Francesca, Fra Angelico, Rafaello and Lucca Signorelli all lived and laboured in our area and may well have banged on the door of La Preghiera looking for work. They were only, then, journeyman painters after all, and would undertake commissions for bed and board. Art treasures from the time of the Etruscans up until today are scattered throughout Umbria in galleries and churches. An artistic weekend could just be the boost you need to continue the year.
If not religion, or even art, then maybe architecture. The evidence remains within twenty kilometres between Sansepulcro, Citta’ di Castello, Gubbio, Umbertide, Perugia and Cortona. Etruscan, Roman, medieval, renaissance, empire, fascist and modern, both secular and ecclesiastical architecture, local churches and monasteries, castles and keeps.

George Clooney, they tell me: if he escapes the falling pianos; lives up the road, in Venice, and will soon start on a mass murder film about the serial killer of Florence. The Monster of Firenze, but I don’t know if Georgie is a goody, or a baddy. Maybe we’ll see some comparative location shots on www.reelstreets.com one day where they already have some 500 films examined with about 14,000 stills.

Something for everyone in fact, and La Preghiera itself was started before records commenced and was finished a few years before Columbus set sail to find the Americas which the Chinese had discovered seventy years before, probably in 1421. Have you read the book?

British Pound leapt up 5 cent against the Euro this Week

2011-05-23T12:54:00.000+02:00

The Pound has jumped back up from a 13 month low of 1.10 up to 1.15, benefiting from higher levels of UK inflation (leading investors to increase their expectation of a currency boosting interest rate hike from the Bank of England) as well as Euro weakness, as the Greek debt crisis hits the headlines with renewed vigour. This difference enables us, through our currency partners, to obtain an extra €10,700 (12/5/11) for a client looking to transfer £200,000 to buy a house in Europe, or for any other reason. Email us for details.

Or, you could go to the High Street banks, and get the worst rate possible, and then a further undisclosed charge when the back office processes the transaction. Better by far are the British Post Office, clear clean rates, no hidden charges, cash in your hand, and a saving of over £800.00 on a € 10,000 exchange!

Aussie Dollars at all time high against the Euro.

Considerable savings to be made by trading your Dollars now if you are planning a holiday in Umbria or anywhere else in Europe. Highest rates now being achieved by our banking friends. Contact us for money saving details. You don’t need to book a holiday with us at lapreghiera.com or villa moscatelli.com or even buy a house from us at propertiesumbria.com or get married through weddingsumbria.com in order to benefit from safe and regulated currency transactions, not handled by the High Street banks, and not through high-rental City of London firms.

Tha cost of property in Umbria

2011-05-23T12:40:00.000+02:00

The cost of property in our area, North Umbria is, after a two year slump, recovering. Easter saw a steady trickle of prospective house buyers anxious to secure bargains before the prices took off again. How about booking a property weekend based at La Preghiera, discussions, site visits, questions and answers.

Maybe property isn’t for you, but perhaps religion and history is. St Francis, lived and worked just down the road in Asissi, and passed up and down the Tiber Valley between his workplace and the isolated monastery of La Verna. We have many churches and religious buildings in the area and the church of La Preghiera, built on Roman, if not Etruscan, temple foundations is often used for weddings. The site www.weddingsumbria.com gives full details and suggestions whilst accommodation in La Preghiera or Villa Moscatelli will provide rooms to satisfy the most discerning traveller.

Not too far from La Verna is Caprese Michaelangelo where the great man was born. He learned his trade from a small man in Perugia, Perugino. Giotto, Piero della Francesca, Fra Angelico, Rafaello and Lucca Signorelli all lived and laboured in our area and may well have banged on the door of La Preghiera looking for work. They were only, then, journeyman painters after all, and would undertake commissions for bed and board. Art treasures from the time of the Etruscans up until today are scattered throughout Umbria in galleries and churches. An artistic weekend could just be the boost you need to continue the year.

If not religion, or even art, then maybe architecture. The evidence remains within twenty kilometres between Sansepulcro, Citta’ di Castello, Gubbio, Umbertide, Perugia and Cortona. Etruscan, Roman, medieval, renaissance, empire, fascist and modern, both secular and ecclesiastical architecture, local churches and monasteries, castles and keeps.

George Clooney, they tell me: if he escapes the falling pianos; lives up the road, in Venice, and will soon start on a mass murder film about the serial killer of Florence. The Monster of Firenze, but I don’t know if Georgie is a goody, or a baddy. Maybe we’ll see some comparative location shots on www.reelstreets.com one day where they already have some 500 films examined with about 14,000 stills.

What are other tourist/tourism sites saying/doing/writing ……latest tourist news

FESTA DEI CERI

2011-04-28T16:12:00.000+02:00

The legendary FESTA DEI CERI takes place in Gubbio on May 15 of each year. Tradition has it that it is a party in honor of St. Ubaldo, bishop and patron saint of Gubbio, who died in 1160, and would be the result of the transformation of an original offer of wax that medieval egubine guilds donated to the patron. For other scholars, however, this festival may originate from pre-Christian pagan festivals, perhaps at a party in honor of the goddess Ash, linked to the awakening of spring …

Your own pagan, or Christian, festival could be celebrated in La Preghiera, thewre is room for about three dozen friends and family.

For more information visit the official website: www.festadeiceri.it

Bookings are now being taken for this weekend.

Incredible DINOSAUR SHOW in UMBRIA

2011-04-19T10:56:00.001+02:00

For the 1st time outside the U.S., the American Museum of Natural History in New York has prepared an exhibition on dinosaurs. And we recently found the remains of one in Montevideo, Uruguay, a stomachoschus, a huge old-fashioned type of crocodile.

And all this in the adjacent city of Gubbio at the Palazzo dei Consoli, not far from the Throat of Bottaccione a unique geological site for dinosaur extinction theories, which happened 65 million years ago due to the impact of an asteroid with the land.

There are, as well as fossils and reconstructions of skeletons, many prehistoric ecosystems in which dinosaurs lived. Among the most spectacular is that of Liaoning, in northeast China, reconstructed with large dioramas showing how the planet has been transformed and how these changes have affected the existence of the “terrible lizards. ”

The event is part of “The changing planet“, set in three exhibitions in Italy:

1) Climate (Perugia, Palazzo Baldeschi, until June 5, 2011)

2) Water (Assisi, Bonacquisti Palace, until 15 May 2011)

3) Dinosaurs (Palazzo dei Consoli Gubbio until April 25, 2011).

All in our local area, book now, and hopefully meet up with other interested and interesting people

For more information please visit: www.ilpianetachecambia.it/dinosauri.html

Bookings are now being taken for these dates.

Easter parades on Good Friday

2011-04-11T10:13:00.000+02:00

Easter parades on Good Friday are prevalent in all the towns and cities in Umbria, starting in the evening, at about 9 o'clock.

In Gubbio large bonfires are lighted along the route of the procession, and impressivly-hooded monks with loud rattles accompany the religious icons and the shrouded Christ.

The solemnity and large numbers of participants, the medieval streets and candles in the darkened windows instill a feeling of awe in the spectators, and it is well worth a visit to absorb the true atmosphere of this celebration.

Bookings are now being taken for the Easter weekend.

Easter parades on Good Friday

2011-03-31T15:34:00.001+02:00

Easter parades on Good Friday are prevalent in all the towns and cities in Umbria, starting in the evening, at about 9 o'clock.
Large bonfires are lighted along the route or the procession, and impressive hooded monks with loud rattles accompany the religious icons and the shrouded Christ.
The solemnity and large numbers of participants, the medieval streets and candles on the windows all instill a feeling of awe to the spectators, and it is well worth a visit to absorb the true atmosphere of this celebration.

Недвижимость в Италии, Тоскане и Умбрии

2011-03-21T11:45:00.003+01:00

Bыбирая недвижимость в Италии, прежде всего нужно определиться с регионом.

Объекты недвижимости и образ жизни в регионах принципиально различаются.

Как утверждают эксперты, итальянский рынок недвижимости от кризиса пострадал незначительно, благодаря консервативности экономики страны.

Очень привлекательными регионами для инвестиций в недвижимость Италии считаются Тоскана и Умбрия.
В Умбрии стоимость квартир начинается от € 800 за квадратый метр, где на россиян приходится 13% общего числа покупателей недвижимости (третье место после представителей Великобритании и Италии).

До 2008 года цены в Тоскане и Умбрии уверенно росли на протяжении двух десятилетий, однако кризис внес свои коррективы, и сейчас цены в регионе на 20% ниже своих пиковых значений.

По мнению экспертов, Италия интересна тем, что практически все регионы являются ликвидными с различной степенью интенсивности.

Инвестиция в квадратные метры Италии может быть сейчас выгодна еще и потому, что курс евро по отношению к доллару и рублю снижается. "В 2010 году мы не ожидаем роста цен на недвижимость в Италии - в первую очередь это связано с проблемами в Евросоюзе. Сейчас из-за падения курса евро цены уже снизились как минимум на 10%. Поэтому те покупатели, которые хранили деньги в долларах или рублях, на запланированную сумму могут купить объект побольше, чем если бы они покупали четыре месяца назад",- считает президент международного агентства недвижимости Gordon Rock Станислав Зингель.

Недвижимость в Италии можно купить и в кредит. По данным международного ипотечного брокера Lowell Finance, ипотечный кредит в Италии иностранцам можно оформить сроком на 5-30 лет, получив максимум 60% оценочной стоимости недвижимости. При этом плавающие процентные ставки составят 3,5-4,2%, фиксированные - 4,75-5,5%.

Cоотношение ежемесячного платежа по ипотеке и ежемесячного дохода должно составлять не более 35%. Оформить кредит можно только после получения прав собственности на объект.

К списку обязательных документов относятся идентификационные документы: загранпаспорт, свидетельство о рождении, браке и т. д. Для подтверждения дохода необходимо представить трудовую книжку, справку в свободной форме с места работы с указанием занимаемой должности и оклада, справку 2-НДФЛ за два года, подтверждение других видов дохода, если такие есть. Для владельца бизнеса или руководителя компании необходимо представить учредительные документы и отчеты о деятельности компании за последние два года. "Если заемщиком выступает руководитель компании или владелец бизнеса, то обязательным требованием является юридическое заключение о подлинности представленных сведений. Если есть аудиторская отчетность о деятельности компании, то нужно еще заключение аудиторской компании о ее подлинности. Если такое невозможно (например, для общества с ограниченной ответственностью), то необходимо обратиться в независимую юридическую компанию для получения подобного заключения",- рассказывает Кирилл Долгинский.

Также нужно представить выписку с банковских счетов, рекомендательное письмо от банка (лучше от двух) и информацию о текущих кредитных обязательствах - для этого в обязательном порядке требуется представить выписку из бюро кредитных историй. В банке нужно предъявить оригиналы документов и их переводы на английский и итальянский языки официальным переводчиком. Заемщику потребуется открыть счет в итальянском банке, в котором оформляется кредит, при этом на счете должна быть размещена сумма в размере около двух ежемесячных платежей. К дополнительным расходам при оформлении кредита относятся оплата административного сбора банка (1-1,5% суммы кредита), оценка объекта (как правило, в диапазоне €40-800) и страхование недвижимости (до 0,4% суммы кредита).

Помимо расходов на оформление кредита заемщику нужно быть готовым и к другим тратам:
регистрационный налог (до 7% стоимости объекта)
кадастровый и ипотечный налоги (до 3% стоимости)

www.propertiesumbria.com
www.lapreghiera.com
www.villamoscatelli.com

Умбрия - Italy

2011-03-21T11:33:00.003+01:00

Умбрия (Umbria)

Один из самых интереснейших регионов Италии, с точки зрения туризма и изучения Италии и итальянского языка, расположенный в центре полуострова.

Состоящий из двух провинций - Перуджа (Perugia) и Терни (Terni).

Где побывать:
- Перуджа (Perugia) - центр города, университет (лучшиая в Италии школа по преподаванию итальянского языка взрослым)

- Ассизи (Assisi) - центр города, монастырь, где монашествовал святой Франциск Ассизский (it. - san Francesco d' Assisi)

- Норчиа (Norcia) - одно из знаменитых мест, известное не только своим выходцем - святым Бенедиктом (основателем католических монастырей), но и мясными традициями. Для высококачественных изделий из свинины в Италии имеется специальный термин - alta Norcineria - высокая Норчинерия (по аналогии с высокой модой)

Как добраться:
ближайшие крупные аэропорты - Perugia, Roma, Firenze, Forli, Rimini

Author Season 2011 - Concerts in Umbria

2011-03-06T17:08:00.004+01:00

The Musical Box events of Sergio Piazzoli presents the beginning of Author Season 2011 after the success of the preview of the festival with concerts Litfiba, Ligabue, Vinicio Capossela and Nobraino.
You are ready now to hear the great performances of the season 2011?!
We start with the wonderful music of Elisa at the Teatro Mancinelli in Orvieto on 1st March 2011 for a concert that proceeds from the energetic rock to a melody more intimate...

Alessandra Amoroso at Pala Evangelisti Perugia March 21, Nek with the "Quartet Experience" always at Teatro Mancinelli in Orvieto on March 29, David Van De Sfroos at Auditorium Vannucci of Ellera di Corciano the April 3, Jovanotti in the dual appointment of 22 and 23 April at Pala Evangelisti, and then the music of Gianna Nannini more Pala Evangelisti May 16.
For November 16 the legendary Negramaro awaits you at the Sports Palace in Perugia.
For information visit the official website of music box.

Date
From 01 March 2011 to 16 November 2011
Address
Perugia - Orvieto - Corciano

http://www.bellaumbria.net/stagione-d-autore-2011_eng.htm

Clooney Brings Italian Murder Mystery to Theaters

2011-03-06T17:01:00.000+01:00

With a villa on Lake Como and a former Italian showgirl as a girlfriend, it can be safely assumed that George Clooney has a soft spot for Italy. Now, with a new movie deal on the table, he’ll get to spend more time in the country, filming The Monster of Florence on location.

Clooney has signed on to bring a famous Italian murder mystery to the big screen. The Monster of Florence is based on a book that recounts the true story of 8 couples who were found murdered around Florence between 1968 and 1985.

Clooney will play Douglas Preston, author of the 2008 book about the mysterious killings. Preston moves to Italy to investigate the murders and teams up with Mario Spezi, an Italian crime journalist. While Preston and Spezi are trying to find the real "Il Mostro," they find themselves accused of crimes by Florence police.

The screenplay is still being adapted, which means Clooney has downtime to spend with Elisabetta Canalis before he has to report to Florence for filming this fall.

http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy/george-clooney/clooney-brings-italian-murder-mystery-theaters

Eurochocolate festival in Umbria

2010-10-19T09:07:00.000+02:00

Once again, time for the delicious Eurochocolate festival of Perugia 2010 which takes place in the ancient centre, for 10 of the sweetest days imaginable, from 15-24October 2010.

Armani international designer of the year

2010-09-10T12:37:00.001+02:00

Giorgio Armani was named as International Designer of the Year at the GQ UK Men of the Year Awards in London on Tuesday.

Mr Armani's close friend, the film director Martin Scorsese, presented the award, saying that Giorgio Armani had succeeded in his own desire to “make the world a little more beautiful every day.” Martin Scorsese also said that he himself wore Armani clothes because of their casual elegance, fluid lines and sense of absolute timelessness. He reminisced about the two weeks he spent with Giorgio Armani making the documentary “Made in Milan” and said they were among the best weeks of his life.

Mr Scorsese said that there were two eras in Hollywood – BG and AG, “before and after Giorgio” - and pointed to the film “American Gigolo” as the one in which Armani's costume designs changed the way actors dressed forever. He also said that Armani had invented the concept of dressing actors for the red carpet.

Giorgio Armani's sponsorship and charity work were also mentioned and Mr Scorsese said that the designer had not hesitated to support the World Cinema Foundation which restores and preserves neglected films from around the world. Mr Scorsese said that Armani had been a great friend of the cinema and was a “towering original”. He thanked his friend for his “incomparable sense of beauty”.

http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy/fashion/armani-international-designer-year

Letters to Juliette

2010-08-20T16:05:00.000+02:00

Letters to Juliette, with Franco Nero, Vanessa Redgrave and Amanda Seyfried and made in Verona, New York and Siena, which is just up the road from where we live and where more than twenty internationally famous films have been made including Brother Sun-Sister Moon, My House in Umbria, Tea With Mussolini, Romeo and Juliet, Under the Tuscan Sun, The English Patient, Quantum of Solace and Gladiator.

AUGUST 2010

2010-08-20T10:48:00.000+02:00

Montone is celebrating the medieval procession of the Madonna della Spina until the 22nd, with flag wavers, archers, costumes, drummers and traditional food.

Citta di Castello is hosting world famous Russian musicians at the Festival of the Nations

Summer truffle hunts are starting in the Upper Tiber Valley which include samples and six course lunches or dinners based on black truffle.

San Leo Bastia village is having their annual four day mushroom festival, with dishes made by local cooks based on world famous porcini mushrooms, traditional from this area of chestnut woods.

Anghiari is hosting an art festival with exhibitors from different countries who are using the old cantinas in the historic centre as showrooms.