The Land of The Colosseum, St Mark's Square,

Michelangelo & Leonardo daVinci,

Information on Relocating to Italy

• The capital city of Italy is Rome with about 2.8 million people. The political centre is also in Rome where the President resides. Italy is a Republic.

• Language: Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French speaking minority in Valle d' Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene speaking minority in the Trieste - Gorizia area). The TV programs are in Italian and are dubbed. There are 2 public channels namely Rai-1 And RAI-2.

• Population: The population is about 58.1 million people with ethnic groups from different backgrounds including small clusters of German, French, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-and Greek-Italians in the south)

• Expat areas: Popular areas for the Expat community are Rome, Milan, Florence, and Genoa.

• Housing: Detached houses are virtually nonexistent in these cities but are readily available in suburban locations (where they are called villas). Large houses are typically unfurnished, while smaller housing options are more commonly rented with furnishings. The term “furnished” refers to appliances and some fixtures that in many other locations are considered part of the real property. Furniture rental, separate from those items that are part of a rental, can be arranged in some cases. During the month of August and December, many housing agencies close for holidays, which makes it impossible to inspect the properties they represent. It is therefore highly advisable to avoid these periods for home finding. In addition to the rent, tenants from condo's should expect to pay additional monthly fees. Aside from those cost the Real estate agents fees are usually around one months rent, plus a sizable tax. Security deposits of three months rent are typical. Due to the fact that there is a high demand on the available housing that appeals to expatriates the landlords are not inclined to make major concessions on lease terms.

• Cost of housing: Varies from area to area and the size of the house or apartment; you'll pay anything from Euro 1100 - Euro 2200 and higher for an apartment and Euro 1100 - Euro 2800 and higher for a house. The local currency is EURO.

• Schools: We have the American, the British and International schools and of course the local school systems is available. Depending on the age we can tell you about waiting lists, etc.

• Transportation: There is a great public transportation system: Plains, trains, trams, busses, subways and taxi's and ferries.

• Banking: Banking hours: can vary slightly, but in general are from 8.30 am - 1.30 pm. Monday-Friday 8.30 am - 1.30 pm and 3.00 pm - 4.30 pm. Banks are generally closed on weekends and holidays (they sometimes close early on days prior to holidays as well).

• Shopping: Shopping is generally done from Monday-Saturday from 8.30 am - 12.30 pm and from 3.30 pm - 7.30 pm. In the north, some shops take a shorter break at midday and close earlier. On Sundays and holidays the shops are mostly closed.

• Climate: The moderating influence of the sea and the protection given by the Alpine barrier from the cold north winds join to bless Italy with a temperate climate. Nevertheless, the weather varies considerably according to how far one is from the sea or the mountains. The winter is very cold in the Alps, cold and foggy in the Po Plain and the central Apennines; mild and even warm on the Ligurian coast, the Neapolitan coast and in Sicilia. The summer is hot and dry, but the temperature is mitigated on the coast by sea breezes and in the Apennines and Alps it is pleasantly cool. In mountain areas, winter is ideal for skiing, and summer for excursions, hiking, etc. Seaside and lake resorts, with their excellent hotel facilities, have an intense tourist season in the summer, while the cities that are rich in art treasures are ideal in spring and autumn.

• Culture: Dubbed the world's 'living art gallery', Italy has more 'culture' than you can shake a baton, paintbrush, quill or chisel at. Whether it's a broken pillar rising up through the linoleum floor of a train station or a baroque church overlooking a cracked antique pediment in the forum, history and culture surround you. Outside there are Etruscan tombs, Greek temples, cat-infested Roman ruins, Moorish architecture and statue-filled baroque fountains to gawp at; inside you can swoon to Roman copies of Hellenic sculptures, Byzantine mosaics, beautiful Madonna's from Giotto to Titian, gargantuan baroque tombs and trompe l'oeil ceilings. In the field of Music there are some famous people one in particular would be Verdi. In addition to composing what probably should now be called the original Aida, Giuseppe Verdi wrote 25 operas, many of which are as popular today as when he died in Milan in January 1901 at 87. He was rich and admired - a poor boy who'd become a gentleman farmer and popular patriot. We have Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Marco Polo, Dante, Armani etc.

• Public holidays: January 1st-New Year’s Day; January 6th-Epiphany; Easter Monday-(date varies); April 25th-Liberation Day; May 1st-Labor Day; June 2nd-Anniversary of the Republic; August 15th-Assumption; November 1st-All Saints’ Day; November 2nd-World War I Victory Anniversary Day; December 8th-Immaculate Conception; December 25th-Christmas Day; December 26th-St Stephen’s Day.