VFI Italian History Links

Here are some great links to find out more about Calabria and Its unique history.

Calabria
History of Calabria starting from palaeolithic age. Not too long and well written

The Complete History Of Calabria
Calabria From Prehistoric to Modern Day.

THE ROMANS Ancient, Medieval and Modern
For the real history buff. Page after page, of Roman and medevil history, pictures and text.

MEDITERRANEAN ARCHAEOLOGY RESOURCES
This site contains some of the best Archeology links on the internet.

Maps of Italy (It)
Here you will find city maps as well as regional and provincia... On Line!

Historical Map Web Sites
Access hundreds of Historical maps on line. Here too, are some great ancient Italian maps.
Italy Maps

The Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection The University of Texas at Austin and produced by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, unless otherwise indicated.

VFI - INCALABRIA: Italian Magazine Article

Bill Kean heads off the tourist map and explores the wild, untamed and spectacular region
of Calabria to discover whether it deserves its tough reputation.

THE LAND THAT ITALY FORGOT Part 1.

Unusual destinations, it seems, are the thing these days and these occasional forays of the mind can be seen as fashion statements as much as what you wear. On Italy’s southern tip, contained by the Tyrrhenian and lonian Seas, lies such a place – a region of Italy that offers great riches of a unique kind.

It is, of course, Calabria, a little known Italian haven for those with an adventurous nature. It is situated in the heart of the Mezzogiorno, named in reference to the unremitting midday sun
which bakes this area of Italy’s deep south. Its rugged, essentially mountainous terrain hosts the densely wooded Apennine range,acting as a seemingly never ending link to the rest of Italy.
But Calabria could almost be another country compared to the provinces further north. Explore its valleys and you discover a culture apparently untouched by recent centuries. Its effect on
the visitor is quite distinct and, offering extremely good value
for the euro, a little goes a long way in this wonderful land.

VFI Brochure: Italian Travel Advice.

Visitors

Travel insurance for visitors to Italy should include personal liability and repatriation expenses. If your travel insurance expires while you’re visiting Italy, you can buy further insurance from a local insurance agent, although this won’t include repatriation expenses. Flight and comprehensive travel insurance are available from insurance desks at most airports, including travel accident, personal accident, world-wide medical expenses and in-transit baggage.

Cost

The cost of travel insurance varies considerably according to where you buy it, how long you intend to stay in Italy and your age. Generally the longer the period covered, the cheaper the daily cost, although the maximum period covered is usually limited, e.g. to six months. With some policies, an excess must be paid for each claim; with others, the excess applies only to certain items, such as luggage, money and medical expenses. As a rough guide, travel insurance for Italy (and most other European countries) costs from around €35 for one week, €50 for two weeks and €80 for a month for a family of four (two adults and two children under 16). Premiums may be higher for those aged over 65 or 70.

Annual Policies

For people who travel abroad frequently, whether on business or pleasure, an annual travel policy usually provides the best value, but carefully check exactly what it includes. Many insurance companies offer annual travel policies for around €150 to €250 per year for an individual (the equivalent of around two to three months’ insurance with a standard travel insurance policy), which are excellent value for frequent travellers. Some insurance companies also offer an ‘emergency travel policy’ for holiday homeowners who need to travel abroad at short notice to inspect a property, e.g. after a severe storm or burglary. The cost of an annual policy may depend on the area covered, e.g. Europe, world-wide (excluding North America) and world-wide (including North America), although it doesn’t usually cover travel within your country of residence. There’s also a limit on the number of trips per year and the duration of each trip, e.g. 90 or 120 days. An annual policy is usually a good choice for owners of a holiday home in Italy who travel there frequently for relatively short periods.

Carefully check exactly what’s covered (or omitted), as an annual holiday and travel insurance policy may not provide adequate cover.

Claims

If you need to make a claim, you should provide as much documentary evidence as possible to support it. Travel insurance companies gladly take your money, but they aren’t always so keen to pay claims and you may need to persevere before they pay up. Always be persistent and make a claim irrespective of any small print, as this may be unreasonable and therefore invalid in law. Insurance companies usually require you to report a loss (or any incident for which you intend to make a claim) to the local police or carriers within 24 hours and obtain a written report. Failure to do so may mean that a claim won’t be considered.

VFI News: Southern Italy Investments defy Credit Crunch

Property in Italy is holding up in the credit crunch with experts predicting modest growth in many areas. Locations with a strong tourist market are the best to invest in and southern Italy in particular is still offering lower priced investments...

Italy hasn't experienced the same problems as the UK and Spanish property markets and the risk of a downturn is considerably lower, according to a new report from Cluttons Italy.

One reason is a significant shift in the Italian market in recent years. 'Until 10 to 15 years ago the majority of foreign buyers were middle class people looking for their storybook villa in culturally rich areas like Tuscany and the Amalfi coast,' the report says.

'Now the arrival of low cost airlines has made southern Italy much more accessible, steering a wider range of buyers to lower cost resort properties in southern regions like Puglia and Calabria.'.

Fashionable areas like Capri and the Amalfi coast are likely to see property prices continuing to rise. Cluttons predicts around 10% this year.

But Calabria in Southern Italy where prices are cheaper is set to become one of the most popular destinations in Europe, and the next Mediterranean property investment success story.

'Property prices are comparatively cheaper than other similar areas in Europe. Also the area will not be overdeveloped due to strict government planning controls. This will ensure that demand remains high for rental accommodation and resale properties,' said Roger Coombes of Cluttons Italy.

'When an area like Calabria begins to attract increasing international attention, it is all but a foregone conclusion that property prices will see sustained and rapid growth of at least 10-15 percent per year,' predicted Liam Bailey of David Stanley Redfern.

And Chris Sawyer, GEM Estates' Italy expert is also backing the area, 'It's largely the southernmost region of Calabria that's fuelling this heightened interest. As soon as the British buying public realized that chic Italy had a hidden corner which was both aesthetically stunning and highly affordable, the rush was on,' he said.

'Calabria is now jostling for attention alongside the established Côtes and Costas and ticks boxes for both lifestyle buyers after a pleasant climate and attractive coastline and investors with an eye for a profit.'
Reprinted courtesy of Propertywire.com

Incalabria Forum removes slanderous posts.

Incalabria forum slanders VFI in an attempt to descredit the company. Forum moderators on the incalabria forum have posted a a malicous articles about mafia involvement and arrests.This is the excuse for an apology that was posted after the removal of the offending article. Isnt it about time that the authorities closed this forum down?
Dear all,

Further to Mr Giambrone and Brendan's posts, I would like to reassure everyone that the Calabria Homes Forum always has been and always will be open, honest and truthful and this is the reason why I took steps at 12.14pm today to remove Gerace's post.

This in fact was done before the post received by a certain law firm so I hope everyone is reasured that we will not and cannot tolerate libelous/slanderous/defamatory remarks. I am NOT a legal expert but I am, like all of you, buying a home in Calabria and do not want to be misled by unsubstantiated rumour or malicious gossip.

The Forum is open to everyone and I really hope Brendan and any other legal professionals who would like to join us will be warmly welcomed by everyone. It can only be for the good of us all to have access to their knowledge and experience.
Dear all,

With regard to the post made by Gerace regarding A certain developer, I have had to put my moderator's 'hat' on this morning :wink: and have temporarily removed the message until the details can be verified.

Dennis from InCalabria Ltd is going to be making contact with the CEO of A certain developer later today to try and clarify what is/is not happening.

I can understand people's concerns regarding the rumours that are flying around but we want our reputation to remain intact as a Forum that is fair, honest and truthful. We certainly don't want to run the risk of supporting or being seen to endorse information that we cannot substantiate or, worse still, proves libelous!

Hoping you understand and appreciate why this is being done.

Kind regards

Sam

VFI INCALABRIA

VFI make it easy for you to view and buy in Calabria

• Once you’ve settled on your choice of property we ask you to pay an initial reservation fee of €3000 before

embarking within 28 days on an inspection trip to explore the resort and its surroundings

• If you then decide to go ahead with your purchase, that €3000 goes towards your deposit of 35% of the sale

price (the balance being payable within 28 days)

• 12 months later a further 10% becomes payable

• On completion and handover of your property, the balance of 55% is due

• Each of these transactions is handled by an independent lawyer who’s fully qualified and highly experienced in

both UK and Italian property law

• To ensure you’re clear with the process from the word go, your lawyer will talk you through every step over a

pleasant dinner and answer any and all of your questions

• As specified by Italian law, 100% of your money is guaranteed by an insurance bond, which ensures that all

monies are returned in the event of unforeseen building or other difficulties

• All building work comes with a ten-year guarantee similar to the UK’s NHBC

Please get in touch if you’d like more details on these or any other aspects of the buying process

VFI INCALABRIA

Tourism in Calabria has increased over the years. The main tourist draws in Calabria are the coastline and the mountains. The coastline alternates between rugged cliffs and sandy beaches, and is sparsely interrupted by development when compared to other European seaside destinations. The sea around Calabria is clear, and there is a good level of tourist accommodation. The poet Gabriele D'Annunzio called the coast facing Sicily near Reggio Calabria "...the most beautiful kilometer in Italy" (il più bel chilometro d'Italia). The primary mountain tourist draws are Aspromonte and La Sila, with its national park and lakes. Some other prominent destinations include:

• Reggio Calabria, on the strait between the mainland and Sicily, the largest and oldest city in Calabria, renowned for its fabulous panoramic seaside with botanical gardens between the art nouveau buildings and the beautiful beaches, and its 3,000 years of history with the old Aragonian Castle and the great National Museum of Magna Grecia where the famous Riace Warriors (Bronzi di Riace) are located.
• Cosenza, seat of the Cosentian Academy, is renowned for its cultural institutions, the old quarter, a Romanesque Cathedral and a Swabian Castle.
• Sybaris, on the Ionian sea, is a village situated near the excavation of ancient Sybaris, a Greek colony of the VII century B.C.
• Scilla, on the Tyrrhenian Sea, "pearl" of the "Violet Coast", has delightful panorama, important religious traditions, and is the site of some of Homer's tales.
• Tropea, on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast, is a beautiful town, with a drammatic seaside beach, and the Santa Maria dell'Isola sanctuary. It is also renowned for its sweet red onions (mainly produced in Ricadi).
• Capo Vaticano on the Tyrrhenian Sea, is a very famous wide bathing place near Tropea.
• Siderno on the Ionian Sea coast.
• Gerace, near Locri, is a beautiful medieval city with a Norman castle and an ancient cathedral.
• Squillace, a seaside resort and important archeological site
• Stilo, the home of Tommaso Campanella, with its Norman castle and beautiful Byzantine church, the Cattolica.
• Pizzo, on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast, known for its ice cream called "Tartufo". Interesting places in Pizzo are Piazza Repubblica and the Aragonian castle where Murat was murdered.
• Soverato on the Ionian Sea, Also known as the "Pearl" of the Ionian Sea. Especially renown for its beaches, boardwalk and nightlife.
• Nicotera on the Tyrrhenian Sea, is a beautiful little medieval Town with an ancient Ruffo's castle.