Useful Info

Why do I need a lawyer when buying a home in Italy?

5 points
Why do I need a Lawyer when buying home in Italy?The question on most people’s lips when thinking about purchasing a property in a foreign country like Italy is, do I need a lawyer or not? That’s the dilemma for ...

Clemente Law Firm -
Lawyer

Summer pests - wasps and hornets

How to efficiently eliminate hornets and wasps with an eco-friendly trap harmless to bees…
Unless we have a large hornet nest nearby (possible!) the mere quantity of hornets we’ve trapped so far this year might be an indication there are large numbers around. So, although I posted an article on Tap-Trap last year, I am re-posting it ...

Alison Koetser -
Cortona, Tuscany

How to eliminate damp and mould

Houses that are closed for long periods at a time can often suffer from issues of damp and worse still, mould!
One of the most dispiriting experiences can be to return to your home after a long absence only to be met by the unwelcoming odour of damp. Worse still is mould, the smell of which can permeate everything and which ...

Team -
My Cortona

DO YOU HAVE SECOND HOME INSURANCE?

AND IF YOU DO, DO YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE COVERED FOR? MADDALENA CASUCCI PROVIDES SOME TIPS...
Many of us pay insurance – on our cars, homes and businesses – but how many of us really believe we will be compensated in full when we need to claim? Probably very few: We all know that the (very) ...

Maddalena Casucci -
Cortona, Tuscany

BEST RESTAURANTS IN TUSCANY

FOOD BUFFS! A LIST OF MICHELIN STARRED & BIB GOURMAND AWARDED RESTAURANTS IN TUSCANY 2023...
This year the Michelin 2023 guide awarded Bib Gourmands to 4 osterie in the province of Arezzo, one of which is Cortona’s very own La Bucaccia! We have compiled (below) a list of all 25 restaurants with Bib Gourmands in Tuscany, as well as ...

Team -
My Cortona

UNDER A TUSCAN KNIFE?

JIM McGINLEY' HAS NOTHING BUT PRAISE FOR CORTONA'S HEALTH SYSTEM AFTER UNDERGOING SURGERY....
When considering a move to another country on a permanent basis, or even when considering the purchase of a second home in which to spend a substantial part of the year, the availability, reliability, and quality of essential services is always a key factor.Perhaps ...

Jim McGinley -
Glasgow, UK

LAST WILL & TESTAMENTS

EVEN AS A NON-RESIDENT, ITALIAN INHERITANCE LAWS APPLY TO ANY PROPERTY YOU MAY OWN IN ITALY...
Legacy planning for my Italian home: So, you are thinking of buying property in Italy, perhaps a Tuscan villa or hill town apartment.  Maybe you have already taken the plunge and are living ‘La Dolce Vita’.  For some, this is ...

S.Gorman - A.Holleran -
Norwell, MA, USA

INCOME FROM SUMMER RENTALS

SEASONAL RENTALS WILL GENERALLY COVER OVERHEADS, BUT IF YOU WANT TO ENSURE AN INCOME, AN INVESTMENT IS REQUIRED...
Many people buying a property, do so with the intention of renting it out, at least to cover their overheads. This is feasible, but there are significant expenses attached. Ideally, these expenses should be calculated before purchasing. They are fundamental to renting out ...

Team -
My Cortona

ENERGY SAVING TIPS & DEVICES

SOME SIMPLE TIPS TO REDUCE ONE'S ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND A FEW GADGETS TO HELP YOU CONTROL IT...
Should you see gloomy instead of sunny faces, when walking into any one of Cortona’s bars and restaurants, don’t be surprised, the energy crisis is hitting the sector hard. A bar spending around E.2,300 for 10,031 kWh in July 2021 is now spending ...

Team -
My Cortona

MID-SUMMER WOES

IS YOUR SUMMER PLAGUED BY HORSEFLIES, WASPS AND HORNETS? IF SO, CHECK OUT TAP TRAP, A SIMPLE, CHEAP & GREAT DEVICE.
Unfortunately for the mosquitoes who plague us during the summer, there are many sprays and devices to keep them at bay, but to date there has been little on the market to effectively ward off hornets, wasps, horseflies and the ...

Team -
My Cortona

Mammuth Jazz Festival 2022

Starting in Cortona on July 5th the festival extends to September 2nd with performances across the Val di Chiana...
Mammut Jazz Festival – 5th July – 2nd September 2022:  From 5th-8th July, Cortona sets the scene debuting the third edition of Mammut Jazz Festival, 2 months of events, concerts and workshops of unadulterated, improvised, jazz-based cultural immersion to be ...

Lucy Wood -
Cortona, Tuscany

Enabling mobility in Italy

Issues of mobility can pose a problem when holidaying. Here are a few tips if you are travelling to Italy.
After 2 years absence, my parents are set to make what was – pre-covid – their annual 6-week pilgrimage to Cortona.  At 88 and 85 years old, neither of them are spring chickens, making this return visit something of a ...

Alison Koetser -
Cortona, Tuscany

Looking to retire in Italy?

We took a look at the elective residency visa for which, if you have deep pockets, you may be applicable...
  The concept of the Italian Elective Residency visa is (very basically) for well-heeled, retired, non-EEA nationals to acquire permanent residency in Italy, as long as they don’t work in the country and have more than sufficient means to support themselves.  It ...

Team -
My Cortona

Alternative energy solutions

Harnessing the sun's energy for personal use will save you money in the long-term and give you energy independence
When we think of a clean and economic source of energy, the first thing that comes to mind is the sun. The sun provides us with more energy than we could possibly use and yet we do not use it ...

Team -
My Cortona

Bright side to a stressful story

A multi-lingual medical association based in Siena and serving S.E Tuscany is good news for our area...
Coming to Cortona on holiday?  Don’t speak Italian? Worried about what to do if you need to fill an urgent prescription, or feel unwell, or contract Covid?  Then check out these guys: www.medyca.it.  Based in Siena, they are registered doctors offering house calls ...

Team -
My Cortona

3 MUST-HAVES FOR SELLING

PREPARING YOUR PROPERTY FOR SALE CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOOD SALE AND NO SALE...
We are always looking to add properties to our portfolio - this year more than ever with so many sales completed - but having these 3 requisites is a real game changer when it comes to negotiations with a buyer; it can ...

Team -
My Cortona

European Pet Passports made easy

Brits with a fixed domicile in Italy can now apply for a European Pet Passport. Here is how...
Great news for British pet owners who have a second home or a regular domicile in Italy: as long as you possess the necessary requisites (below), you can apply for a European Pet Passport.  It is recognised by the UK ...

Team -
My Cortona

Private Medical Institutions

Good health is one thing you can't buy, but affordable private health care is a definite plus...
“The greatest wealth…is health” wrote Virgil many, many moons ago, but a saying just as true today as then. We all hope to maintain good health, but while you’re travelling and especially if you take medication or have an on-going ...

Team -
My Cortona

Travel requirements UK - Italy

There is a sequence to follow if you are travelling from the UK to Italy or vice versa. Here is a summary...
Since Italy has now lifted the 5 day quarantine period for UK arrivals, there will no doubt be quite a bit of movement across the channel over the next few weeks. However, having just travelled to the UK myself, I can ...

Team -
My Cortona

A personal post-Brexit experience

My advice to any UK citizen resident in Italy is to apply ASAP for the new Carta di Soggiorno Brexit...
I wasn’t planning on getting the new digital Carta di Soggiorno anytime soon - the deadline for doing so isn’t until December 2021 - and I have a permanent residency certificate in the meanwhile, but on visiting my local ASL to get a ...

Alison Koetser -
Cortona, Tuscany

Roof tops, views and swallows

Update on Italy’s return to a cautious near-normality in the wake of a continued decline in reported Covid cases...
Now that seven of Italy’s regions have been declared White Zones (at lowest risk) and many more – those currently in low-risk yellow zones - set to turn white over the next few weeks, the hospitality industry is finally beginning to feel that ...

Team -
My Cortona

Guide to obtaining a mortgage in Italy

In need of a mortgage to purchase your Italian home? Here is a summary of what is required...
Owning property in Italy and especially Tuscany is many a person’s dream: the chance to live the good life or as Italians would say, La Dolce Vita, but if you are not a cash buyer and require a mortgage, here is some ...

Team -
My Cortona

Guide to Renting Out Your Property

Standard procedure and a few extra tips regarding insurance and cleaning protocols 2021
Many people who buy second homes in Italy, buy with the intention of renting it out in their absence. There is however a legal procedure to be followed. For 2021, there are also protocols to be followed: flexibility and reassurance in a ...

Team -
My Cortona

BUY RIGHT. FINDING YOUR AGENCY IN ITALY

HOW TO ASCERTAIN WHICH AGENCIES ARE RIGHT FOR YOUR PERSONAL REQUISITES AND IF THEY OFFER POST SALES SERVICES...
Not only should the house you find in Italy TICK ALL BOXES, but also the agency assisting you with the sale. If you live overseas and are thinking of buying a property in Italy, here is a guideline as to what you might ...

Team -
My Cortona

FOR RESIDENT UK NATIONALS IN ITALY

THE WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT PROTECTS THE RIGHTS OF UK NATIONALS RESIDENT IN ITALY, BUT THERE ARE SOME CHANGES TO NOTE
With a Brexit agreement only just reached, the finer issues are likely to be defined further down the line, but many of the fundamental aspects regarding reciprocal rights of Italian nationals in the UK and UK nationals in Italy were established back in ...

Team -
My Cortona

Christmas and new year restrictions

With only two people allowed per household Christmas and New Year will be more sombre events than usual....
Red Zone restrictions will be in place across Italy as of 24th to 27th December (inclusive), 31st December to 3rd January (inclusive), and 5th to 6th January (inclusive).During this period people can leave their homes only for reasons of work, necessity ...

Team -
My Cortona

INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC TRAVEL 2020

IF YOU WERE PLANNING A TRIP TO ITALY DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, IT MAY BE BEST TO RETHINK YOUR PLANS...
With the holiday season around the corner and Covid 19 becoming ever harder to restrain and contain, the Italian government has introduced a new hard line decree limiting movement, both internationally and domestically, as much as possible.  Here is a 2 part list ...

Team -
My Cortona

ITALIAN RESIDENCY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

7 THINGS YOU SHOULD PROBABLY KNOW BEFORE MAKING A DECISION
With the Brexit deadline imminent and a ‘no deal’ scenario very possible many of our UK clients are posing the question as to whether or not to become Italian residents. Albeit that we don’t yet know what individual deal the UK might strike ...

Team -
My Cortona

REMINDER: COUNCIL AND RUBBISH TAX 2020

With or without a pandemic we are still expected to pay our dues. Here is how you can do it from afar
REMINDER: Unfortunately, it's that time of year when final payment of council and rubbish taxes are due! Council taxes are applicable to everyone who owns a second home (i.e. non resident). Rubbish taxes are applicable to both residents and non-residents.The ...

Team -
My Cortona

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MY CORTONA

OUR BLOG IS INTENDED AS A CENTRAL HUB FOR CORTONA LOVERS WORLD-WIDE, BRINGING YOU USEFUL INFORMATION, PROFILES OF THE MANY INTERESTING PEOPLE WHO LIVE & VISIT THE TOWN, UP-DATES ON LOCAL NEWS, SPECIAL STORIES & UPCOMING EVENTS


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In a unique collaboration, Cortona International is able to offer its clients, a team of English-speaking estate agents & property managers who provide specialist knowledge in all aspects of buying, managing & selling property to a largely international clientele

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