Making Italy Home
What it really takes to live La Dolce Vita
October 10-17, 2026
You’ve visited Italy.
You’ve imagined living here.
But you also know something important:
Visiting Italy is easy.
Living here is something else entirely.
Making Italy Home is a one-week immersive experience designed to help you understand what it truly takes to make Italy your home.
What you’ll learn:
• Visa options and residency pathways
• Healthcare, taxation, and realistic timelines
• How buying or renting property works
• Renovation realities, permits, and local professionals
• Language, culture, and daily life in Italy
• What it truly takes to live here
What makes this special:
• Small group with space for your questions
• All-inclusive once you arrive.
• Direct access to trusted local professionals
• Hosted by an expat who lives here
• Time with others exploring the same move
• Enjoy a beautifully restored villa as your home base
Your program for the week
SATURDAY
Welcome to Puglia
You arrive in Puglia and settle into your private ensuite room at the villa. The pace shifts almost immediately. Olive groves stretch beyond the terrace. The air feels different.
That evening, we gather for a welcome dinner.
You’ll meet the others in the group — couples and individuals who, like you, are seriously considering a move. We outline the week ahead and begin with a simple but important question:
Is this dream realistic for you?
SUNDAY
Coastline & Clarity
In the morning, we visit the beautiful coastal city of Trani, walking its harbor and historic center — seeing firsthand what daily life looks like in one of Puglia’s most admired seaside towns.
From there, we continue to Giovinazzo for a relaxed seafood lunch and time to explore its narrow streets and waterfront. These are the kinds of places many people imagine living near — and today, you experience them through that lens.
In the afternoon, we return to the villa for an essential workshop on Italian residency and legal status.
This session introduces the foundations of making Italy home — visa pathways, residency requirements, healthcare access, and what truly changes once you become a resident.
MONDAY
Food & Real Estate Markets
In the morning, we head to Terlizzi for a hands-on look at everyday life: grocery shopping the way locals do it. We’ll visit favorite neighborhood stops — cheese shops, bakeries, and small specialty stores — the kinds of places you’d rely on if you actually lived here.
Back at the villa, we cook lunch together and sit down to enjoy it. It’s simple, relaxed, and very “real life Italy.”
In the afternoon, we shift into one of the most practical conversations of the week: real estate in Puglia, and the common pitfalls foreign buyers don’t see coming. We’ll cover the buying landscape at a high level, what to watch for, and how to approach the process with confidence and clear eyes.
TUESDAY
Postcards & Possibilities
Today we explore the Valle d’Itria and its iconic white towns.
We begin in Ostuni — often called the White City — with its maze of bright stone streets and sweeping views toward the sea. From there, we step beyond the well-known postcard version and visit two smaller towns, Cisternino and Locorotondo. Less touristy, equally charming, and often more realistic in terms of everyday living.
Lunch is in a local restaurant designed for residents, not visitors. Simple, seasonal food. The kind of place you would return to regularly if you lived here. If the weather allows, we’ll enjoy a short countryside walk before continuing the day.
Along the way, we view properties for sale — at least one move-in ready and one that requires renovation. Seeing both side by side offers perspective on what different budgets truly provide, and what “potential” actually means in practice.
In the evening, we return to the villa for a relaxed cooking class and dinner together — ending the day not as tourists, but as future residents learning the rhythm of daily life.
WEDNESDAY
Life Beyond the Move
After a full day exploring the Valle d’Itria, today shifts inward. This is about the realities of living in Italy — not buying property or securing a visa, but navigating daily life once you’re here.
The morning session focuses on the practical foundations of settling in: the steps that follow residency. We’ll discuss the essentials — documents, banking, healthcare access, and the systems that often feel unfamiliar at first.
In the afternoon, the conversation turns to something equally important: integration.
What level of Italian do you truly need?
How do you build community in a small town?
What cultural differences catch people off guard?
We’ll talk openly about the adjustment period — the frustrations, the surprises, and the mindset required to feel at home here.
There is also time built into the day to rest, reflect, and absorb. Not every step toward making Italy home is about motion. Some of it’s about perspective.
THURSDAY
Renovation Reality
Today begins with one of Puglia’s most striking landmarks: Castel del Monte. Itsself renovated not so long along, rescued from ruins.
After exploring the castle, we settle in for a long lunch nearby at famous Antichi Sapori, as seen on Stanley Tucci’s show.
In the afternoon, we turn to one of the most misunderstood aspects of moving to Italy: renovation.
This session explores the real differences between buying something move-in ready and taking on a restoration project. We discuss what the renovation process actually looks like, the professionals involved, realistic costs and timelines, and how expectations often differ from reality.
If you’ve ever imagined restoring a trullo, a townhome, or a countryside masseria, this conversation will help you understand what that truly involves — and where enthusiasm needs to meet practicality.
FRIDAY
The Adriatic Dream, The Financial Foundation
On your final full day, we return to the coast — this time to experience two very different but equally compelling seaside towns.
We begin in Polignano a Mare, perched dramatically above the Adriatic. It’s one of Puglia’s most photographed locations, but today you’ll look at it through a different lens: not just beauty, but livability.
From there, we head to Monopoli — a larger, year-round town with strong train connections and a vibrant local rhythm. It offers a different kind of practicality for those considering full-time life in Italy. We’ll lunch here before heading back to the villa for one last essential topic: Italian taxation.
This session provides a clear introduction to how the Italian tax system works for foreign residents — including residency triggers, income treatment, social contributions, and special regimes such as the 7% flat tax. We also discuss next steps and what ongoing relocation support looks like beyond this week.
Finally, for tonight’s farewell dinner, you’ll be rolling out and cooking up your own pizza which we’ll then cook in the villa’s ancient wood-burning pizza oven.
SATURDAY
Arrivederci! (See you soon!)
Today, you’ll unfortunately have to say goodbye to Puglia and all your new friends. Transfers will be available for those heading to the airport of train stations. But it’s not “goodbye” as we know we’ll see you again in your new life in Italy!
Enjoy an all-inclusive experience once you arrive in Puglia.
Accommodation, meals, transportation, expert sessions, and cultural visits are all included so you can focus entirely on learning, exploring, & deciding whether making Italy home is right for you.
October 10-17, 2026
€6800 per couple
€3800 per individual
Participation is intentionally limited to allow for meaningful conversations and access to the experts leading the workshops.
You can reserve your place with a €500 deposit.
Deposits are refundable until May 3.
The tour will be confirmed by July 31.
Reserve now!
Email us at info@vcvilla.com
or fill in the form here.
What’s Included
• Seven nights at a countryside villa in Puglia
• Private ensuite bedroom
• All meals throughout the week
• Property visits and cultural excursions
• Local transportation during the program
• Transfers from Bari airport or nearby train station
• Expert-led workshops
Once you arrive, there is nothing else you need to plan, organize, or worry about.
What’s not included:
• Flights to and from Italy
• Travel insurance
• Personal purchases
Who is this for?
Making Italy Home is designed for individuals and couples who are seriously considering the possibility of living in Italy and want to understand what that decision actually involves.
Most participants will be people who:
• Have visited Italy before and feel drawn to the lifestyle
• Are beginning to research visas, residency, or property
• Are curious about the practical realities of daily life here
• Want guidance from people who understand both the dream and the details
• Prefer a thoughtful, small-group experience over traditional tours
Some guests arrive already exploring property options. Others are earlier in the process but want a clear understanding of what moving here truly requires. Wherever you are on that spectrum, the goal of the week is the same to help you make italy your new home.
Who are we?
Unlock Puglia — Relocation Specialists
Unlock Puglia was created to help foreigners navigate the practical realities of relocating to southern Italy.
Founded by Elisa Pogliano, Claudia Sviluppo, and Annalisa Galetta, the organization brings together international experience and deep local knowledge of the region.
Their work focuses on guiding newcomers through the complex steps involved in building a life here — from residency and bureaucracy to connecting with trusted professionals such as lawyers, architects, and accountants.
During the week, members of the Unlock Puglia team lead the workshops that explain the legal, financial, and practical aspects of making Italy home.
Steven — Villa Cappelli Host
Steven has spent more than 15 years welcoming guests to Puglia and sharing the rhythms of everyday life in southern Italy.
As the host of Villa Cappelli, he has welcomed thousands of visitors from around the world, offering them an authentic introduction to the region — its food, culture, towns, and slower pace of life.
Having made Italy home himself, Steven brings a practical expat perspective to the experience, helping guests understand what daily life here actually feels like — beyond the postcard version — and shares the insights that only come from living in the region.
He leads the cultural side of the week, leading tours and excursions, cooking, and helping guests experience Puglia not simply as visitors, but as people considering the possibility of living here.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. While learning Italian will certainly enhance your experience living here, it is not necessary to participate in the program. One of the topics we discuss during the week is what level of Italian is realistically needed for daily life.
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Most guests will fly into Bari International Airport (airport code: BRI), which is the closest major airport to the villa. We will arrange transportation from the airport or nearby train stations on arrival day.
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The experience includes walking through towns and villages, but nothing strenuous. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
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If the tour does not reach the required number of participants, all deposits will be fully refunded.
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Each guest will stay in a private ensuite bedroom at the villa. The property is located in the countryside and offers a comfortable setting for both the workshops and the shared meals that take place throughout the week.
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Participation is intentionally limited to 12-15 guests, depending on how many couples and single we have. This allows for meaningful conversations and access to the experts leading the workshops.
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If you decide to continue exploring a move to Italy, the team from Unlock Puglia can connect you with trusted local professionals — including lawyers, accountants, architects, and real estate specialists — who can help guide the next steps.
There is no obligation to work with anyone after the tour. The goal of the week is simply to give you the knowledge and contacts you may need if you decide to move forward.
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Puglia offers something increasingly rare in Italy: beauty, authenticity, and a quality of life that remains accessible.
The region is known for its white stone towns, olive groves, coastline, and extraordinary food culture. Compared with more famous regions like Tuscany or the Amalfi Coast, property prices and the cost of living are still relatively reasonable, while the lifestyle remains deeply rooted in local traditions.
For many people considering a move to Italy, Puglia offers a balance between charm, community, and practicality that can be difficult to find elsewhere.
That said, the information and guidance shared during the week — from residency and taxation to property and daily life — can be applied to relocating anywhere in Italy.
Ready to make
Italy your home?
If you’ve been thinking about what it might look like to build a life here, this week is designed to help you explore that possibility with clarity and confidence.
October 10–17, 2026
Limited participants
You can reserve your place with a €500 deposit.
Deposits are refundable until May 3.
The tour will be confirmed by July 31.
Fill out the form here or email us at info@vcvilla.com