Accommodation

Summary

House of the Little Square

Casa della Piccola Piazzetta

A quaint one bedroom home in the heart of historic Grottole. It is located in a characteristic little square in the heart of the village, and enjoys a panoramic view. The little square can be used for outdoor dining and living.
Size: 18 square meters

Price: 22,500 euros

Casa della Piccola Piazzetta in the village of Grottole, is part of the ‘Terre D’Irsina’ project, which is designed by private property developers in conjunction with the local city council, to turn the enchanting historical villages into a getaway for those seeking quiet, tranquillity and a magical retreat from the chaos of everyday life. Added to this is ease of access: there are three international airports within close proximity of the Terre D’Irsina villages.

Today, the village services and trade cater only to locals – that’s the beauty of it. The restaurants and café’s are populated only by locals. As such, when you come to Irsina, you do as the locals do and enjoy the same high quality of life. When you walk along the cobblestone streets, lined with pastel-coloured houses, and look down on the stunning view across the fields of grain, the olive trees and grapevines, you can really soak in the true, real Italy.

The Terre D’Irsina projects are backed by the local city councils. A series of initiatives aimed at welcoming foreign homebuyers that have decided to nest in the villages, includes a family mentorship program that matches local families with those coming from elsewhere. You will be taken under a local family’s wing and matched according to similar interests. So if it’s wine tasting, fishing, or vintage cars that’s your passion, you can make friends locally and enjoy it basking in the Italian sun.

So, the Terre D’Irsina projects: a small investment with huge potential. Low cost Italy.
The apartments and houses in the village stand to benefit from a rise in their value over time, as the town becomes increasingly known as a vacation location and as it appeals more and more to both an international and local clientele.

Viewing Weekends:

We would be delighted to have you join our two-day viewing weekends – the only way to truly appreciate these
beautiful villages and the potential of the property on offer. To keep our prices low, we do not offer subsidised trips. You pay your flights and accomodation and we show you round the houses - molto semplice!

Viewing dates 2009:

June 13/14

July 18/19

Aug- no trip

Sept 19/20

Oct 24/25

Nov 14/15

Airports:
Bari: 1 hour (84 km)
Brindisi: 2 hours (199 km)
Naples 2 hours 30 minutes.(213 km)

PHOTOS ARE PRE-RESTORATION

REMEMBER, PRICE INCLUDES RESTORATION AND STANDARD FURNITURE PACKAGE

Included in the price:
Internal and external restoration work where needed, electricity, plumbing, and where possible the restoration
of antique flooring;
Basic furnishing to permit immediate use of the property (beds, bedside tables, bedside lamps, wardrobe, dining table, chairs, sofa, coffee table, stand-up lamp, full kitchen inclusive of fridge and cooker, bathroom mirror);

Excluded from the price:
Utility connections such as electricity, water, sewage and gas are not included and are sole responsibility of the buyer to organize and pay .The approximate cost of  water, electricity and sewage connections is 2,000 euros.
Government and notary closing costs and property transfer taxes, which equate to approximately 10% of the purchase cost.

Activities and Leisure

The medieval hamlet  of Irsina, is a starting point for numerous activities and attractions, for thousands of itineraries ranging from those focusing on medieval archeology, thermal baths, wine buying, production and tasting, to those wishing to learn more about traditional arts like cooking, ceramics and needlepoint.

In buying and visiting Terre D’Irsina, visitors and homebuyers have the added bonus of knowing that they will be helping keep these traditions alive. Terre D’Irsina is a wonderful context in which homebuyers and vacation-goers can go to relax and enjoy their spare time. They stand to benefit from the peace and quiet and the relaxed country living to just get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Children are especially
welcome, as they are traditionally in Italian life. The locals are a well of information and support for visitors and new home-buyers who want to discover things.

The local “feste'” and “sagre” (festivities) include events centred around gourmet specialties and wine tasting and bridge the generations to reflect the community spirit inherited from the days when townsfolk of different families and ages would join forces to harvest wheat and grapes. Here, visitors and homebuyers are able to enjoy the gastronomical traditions of local culinary artisans and partake in eating habits that are among Europe's most discerning and most healthy.

Facilities 

Irsina is a small town with approx. 5700 inhabitants. It has a beautiful and lively town square, with the a panoramic view across the open countryside. There are shops and several bars and restaurants. There is more to Irsina then you might at first think!

The medieval part of Irsina is a labyrinth of cobblestone roads winding and opening up into little squares with breathtaking views over the vast countryside. It is an agricultural town, formerly an important Byzantine fortified hamlet, built on the Bradano river on the border between the region of Basilicata and Puglia. Churches and fountains are familiar landmarks. In fact, the town boasts an important 13th Century cathedral which was partly rebuilt at the end of the 18th Century and the remains of a Norman castle which have since been incorporated into the crypt of the former monastery of San Francesco.

The friendly locals that always have fifteen minutes to stop for a chat, invite you in for an espresso coffee or a glass of home-made wine, or take you to your destination point if you have stopped for directions. Depending on the time of day, the smells of the local gastronomic tradition pervade the air. In the morning, the inviting taste of freshly baked bread and “cornetti” (the local croissant) is a powerful force that will lure you into the various local bakeries. In mid-morning, the strong aroma of freshly-ground coffee beans will accompany you as you wander down a sunlit road. At lunch, mouthwatering smells of home-made pasta sauces pervade the air.

Around the more modern part of the village café’s and shops painted in warm hues of beige, rose-petal and yellow snuggly sit beside each other beckoning you to come inside. The whole village is perched on a hill overlooking Italy’s grain plateau – in fact, the area produces a lot of the grain used to make pasta in the whole of Italy.

Depending on your requirements and commitments, you can either enjoy the leisure of an Italian day with the slow pace of life it boasts, work from home on broadband, getting the best of both worlds. A quick visit to the local bakery in the morning and then an hour well spent sitting on your balcony, basking in the sun and sipping fresh-ground coffee and eating a still oven-warm cornetto.

Alternatively you can catch up on work from a broadband connection in the morning, and then enjoy a sleepy warm summer afternoon, where the height of activity involves a hike in the meandering countryside lanes, making friends with the locals, drinking the local wine, and then a snack stop for one of the local delicacies in a local restaurant. When the sun sets, a wander round the town to do a bit of shopping by stopping off at the little shops glowing in the shimmering pre-twilight light. Or a pre-dinner “aperitivo” drink in one of the local café’s over a game of cards with a newly-found neighbour.

Proposed Services

 Let our recommended services partner take the headache out of setting up and running your Italian home.

Local Activities

The Town of Matera:
The 2,000-year old town of Matera is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is the location of Mel Gibson's film " The Passion of Christ." Wander round the old town ("I Sassi") that clings onto the side of the cliff and soak in the extraordinary atmosphere that brings you back thousands of years. Enjoy the life and bustle of the modern part of the city, sipping an aperitivo of excellent wine in one of the infinite outdoor bars, or shop in the exquisite fashion boutiques. Dine in one of the atmospheric restaurants that are open among the caves.

Metaponto Beach:
Spend the day soaking in the sun and swimming at Metaponto, an uncontaminated seaside location close to Irsina. Have lunch at a seafood restaurant on the beach, or at one of the country hotels a bit further inland. Join in the numerous sports activities organized in the village.

Pollino Park : Why not try white river rafting or sleding high in Basilicata's Pollino Park?

If you are feeling fit, take an 8 hour hike up Mount Bulgheria

Downloads

 Sustainable tourism info

Property Plans

 House of the Little Square floorplan