May092009

Living in Europe … often a choice between culture and comfort.

From the narrative essay collection "Tales Round River Arno". First published in May, 2009

When thinking in categories, obviously a prince's residence must be of higher standing than that of a mere marquis'. Wouldn't you think? But living in one of the most beautiful cities in Italy has taught me many times over to expect surprises with regard to housing.

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If you prefer to listen to this story rather than reading it, please scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find the audio file. Narrator is British actor Philip Hurd-Wood.

When I left my rather comfortable home in Munich, Germany, seven years ago to live in the historic city of Florence, I had already grown quite attached to the typical German rental standards. And let me tell you, they are great! The electric system is superb compared to the  Italian one, and in general, most homes you rent in Germany are of pretty high quality, because Germans themselves expect a lot from their landlords and usually get it, too. You see, tenants enjoy wide protection by law there. This is definitely not true for Italy, unless you are prepared to spend a disgusting amount of money for the roof over your head, and even then you are liable to fall victim to onerous contracts. 

Well, I won't go into WHY I exchanged the cushy German rental paradise for rather challenging Italian dwellings, but it is safe to say that after seven years of living in Italy, surprisingly, I do not want to return. 

The Italian way of life and especially the Italians themselves make up for a lot that is not so great about their housing. For example, in the center of Florence, most of the houses are historic, and if they are not, then, usually they are not well built (the architectural sins of the   70's and 80's can be seen everywhere). In spite of this knowledge, I never gave up trying to find the right place.

After a few years living under rather improvised circumstances, I had finally acquired a residential contract for a small unfurnished apartment. To rent “empty” is difficult here, but I prefer to put my own stamp on my home and not be subjected to other people's tastes. 

The place was located only a few steps away from the embankment of the river Arno. Finding something like this for a half-way affordable rent, is already quite an accomplishment, because the historic center of Florence is a very sought after area, unfortunately also one with premium rents.

The small apartment turned out to be a historic “harem's quarter” within the premises of an Italian Prince belonging to one of the oldest noble families of Italy. This section of the family's residence was once built for a sheik and his female entourage, who came to visit  in the 17th century. You would expect that this kind of history would have been displayed within the walls of my new home, but no such luck! The only things historic were the pipes system and the very arbitrary electrical wiring. 

It would be far too long a story to recount the multiple incidents I had to suffer due to the many flaws this ancient little castle revealed during the two years I called it my home. I finally gave up trying to love my harem's quarter a month ago, and decided to give my quest “How to find a comfortable and affordable home in historic Florence” another try.

Having already been burnt once by nobility, I was naturally very sceptical when being offered the garden house within the residence of another old noble family. My potential landlord this time: a marquis belonging to one of the great wine making dynasties of Tuscany. 

However, the location was tempting being just around the corner of my old place, and living within walking distance of the historic center was a strong incentive!

When I finally viewed the place, I couldn't believe my luck. Not only was it a beautifully maintained property, but it had all the perks you would expect from living amongst nobility. (Did I mention that all members of this noble dynasty live here as well?)

Negotiations went well. The rental contract was perfectly straight forward and even my two cats were admitted. 

All my requests (which I had almost feared to voice) were met with an unperturbed “but, of course, madam, all will be done according to your wishes”. Good Lord! Had I perhaps found the Holy Grail? 

Indeed, my quest had finally come to an end. Two weeks ago, I moved in! 

I now live in a lovely historic place and still have a functioning home. Exchanging a prince's residence for a marquis' garden house felt quite the contrary, more like “from rags to riches”.

You can also listen to this essay narrated by British actor Philip Hurd-Wood

Audio:

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