Hi all! My name is Monica. I am a 76 yo single woman who moved to Silvi Marina, Abruzzo 5 years ago. I do possess dual American/Italian citizenship so, in my case, it was a very simple matter since no visa was necessary. To live permanently in Italy had always been a dream of mine. 

Every time I visited it became harder & harder to return to the States. It wasn’t until I retired that I finally decided to take the plunge. Why Abruzzo you may wonder? To be honest it wasn’t my first choice. I always imagined I would end up in Umbria even though I have relatives in Campania. 

Abruzzo became my actual destination due to several reasons. While I had briefly visited the area many, many years ago it wasn’t until I spent several weeks in the area that I came to appreciate all that this part of Italy had to offer. The topography is very, very diverse. There are stunning mountain ranges, the Maiella & the Gran Sassa, which are home to the rare Mariscan brown bear. For nature lovers there are an abundance of hiking trails, ski resorts, national parks, bike trails & camp grounds. 

If you prefer water sports Abruzzo has one of the longest coastlines in Italy. Sailing, fishing & swimming are some of the fun summer activities available . The area has been off the radar compared to the rest of Italy so it will feel very authentic. You can still witness the transhumance of sheep which occurs twice a year. I can’t tell you how amazing it is to be driving down a road when you suddenly happen upon a huge herd of sheep in a field guarded by a beautiful pastore Abruzzese sheep dog. 

Like most of Italy the local food is simple but delicious. Some examples would be arrosticini , skewers of grilled mutton, a traditional pasta called chitarra because it is made on a device that resembles the strings of a guitar & pallotte cacio e ova, meatless meatballs of eggs, cheese & breadcrumbs. The second reason for my choosing Abruzzo was strictly financial. It is one of the 8 southern regions in Italy which offer a 7% flat tax rate to retirees who settle in a town with less than 20,000 residents. Silvi Marina was an easy choice for me because it is on the coast so winters are mild but is only 25 minutes to the mountains, it has a train station, plus it contains all the services I need for daily living such as shops, restaurants, banks, doctors, vets, etc. 

I have fully embraced my life here in Italy. I have been able to connect & make friends with many of the locals plus have reached out to other expats & helped them with settling into their new life in Abruzzo. I am more than happy to share more of my experience with you if you are interested.