Beautiful cities of Italy – a collection for your pleasure – video
This video of Italian cities portrays a collection of the best places, monuments, churches and landscapes of this marvellous peninsula. Charming cities are to be found all over Italy, with an awesome display of artistic masterpieces. Architecture is also astounding, witnessing deep and widespread cultural and human values. Such a treasure portends the unshackable strenght of any investment in Italy, be it real estate or business. As you can see, most artworks belong to the 16th and 17th centuries. Indeed, the period of the Renaissance was the most prosperous for Italy. Nevertheless Italy wasn’t a nation, but there were many small kingdoms. There went unable to colonize as other stronger European nations did. Therefore Spain, France, Austria and the other European nations became much stronger than Italy and started to dominate it economically, politically and culturally. Italy became poorer, its cities, like Florence and Venice or Pisa, once very advanced economically and technologically, started a period of slow but continuos decadence. Nowadays Italy taps from its great artistic talent to be world leader for industrial and fashion design, offering many business investment opportunities, thanks to small but creative companies. Real estate in Italy is also of great value, being harmoniously embedded in beautiful, artistic cities, towns and villages.
Exemplary case of a small Italian family business: Massimo Bottura
“Massimo Bottura, the owner of the restaurant Osteria Francescana, is an exemplary case of running a small Italian family business. His career is at the crossroads between entrepreneurship, culture and technology and is an example for the spread of Italian culture and the development of Made in Italy at the international level. The leader of Modena – three Michelin stars and world number one in the best 50 ranking – now receives an honorary degree in business administration in the Aula Magna of St. Lucia in Bologna, with a focus on the ethics of business, and of entrepreneurship. Bottura is the chef who invented the Ambrosiano Refectory in the months of the Milan Expo (an adventure that has also become a film), the experience borrowed by other cities, with the participation of the best chefs on the planet. “Before the summer, we will open a refectory in London, in the heart of Chelsea. Alain Ducasse and Adrià have already joined. And then we go to Berlin. How much does it cost to eat in your “social” canteens? “In London, you will spend 50 cents for a soup, 30 for vegetables: this is obviously symbolic, we should not give them a gift. In Brazil, you pay nothing, the money is collected by renting spaces, welcoming and bright. Hosting people in need should not be associated with second-class places, in fact. It does not want to be charity, it is the restoration of dignity. ” A major difference. “Fundamentally, I would say. It is like the call, to take the best products made in prison workshops. Charity is a task to be done in silence. You put your hand in your pocket and give. Here the concept is different: it comes down to cultural projects, which must be communicated. We must relate those who work with and for prisoners, support those who seek to get back into the game through work. Improve talent, ability, passion. Our cooks are loyal to our craftsmen, but no one prevents us from supporting a “social” supplier if it is able to withstand the competition of the market in terms of quality “. Today cooks are worth more than the sum of their recipes. We can make a difference because we are listened to. If international politics turn to the worst, there are many people who are fighting in silence. We must exploit this fruitful period, I think people realized that we can not lock ourselves in our little corner and that the slogan must be “sharing” Assigning an honorary degree to a cook is not so common “They also came from Harvard to understand how we operate in the shop. I want to call it “the shop”, because there is a place for education, culture, agriculture, tourism, social support. The new food tourism alters the local economy, I’ve never seen so many foreigners in Modena … We have two thousand applications for internships. They come here, and also absorb the culture of sustainability, the prohibition of waste, respect for the work of farmers.” – said Mr. Bottura.
Italy first in Europe for companies led by CEOs under 35
Young Italians dub German peers in terms of new business initiatives. There are in Italy 600,000 companies with a CEO under 35. With a pace of new openings of 325 a day, in the first nine months of 2016. Boom in the South, in the retail trade and agriculture There is a sector in which Italy is first in Europe. More than twice as France and Germany: business conducted by a CEO under 35. They are 600 000 in all, with a positive balance of 50,000. Record set in the first nine months of this year, at the rate of 325 openings per day. Young Italians in short, are the most resourceful when it comes to embarking on new business. Especially in the South and in the retail trade. And with a great return of interest for agriculture. For those who want to do business in Italy, you have to know how to interact with small companies, which will necessarily be suppliers or customers. First, if a small company or made a quote, have to ask them all to follow up the quotes provide for billing, because the smaller the Italian company, and the more one tends not to charge a portion of its turnover Then, be aware that small Italian companies are quite dynamic and can become loyal partners, both as a supplier and as a customer. So it is essential to establish good relationships with my family that normally runs the business, based on mutual trust. The advice of an Italian business lawyer is all the more valuable as the laws that regulate business activity in Italy are sometimes a bit tortuous, and commercial practices can be sometimes surprising for newcomers. 2015 EUROSTAT DATA FOR SMEs (in thousands) Member State of the EU total of SMEs CEOs under 40 % of CEOs under 40 Italy 3.838,70 1.155,10 30,09% UK 2.962,10 990,1 33,43% Poland 2.772,60 988,2 35,64% Germany 2.414,90 511,4 21,18% Romania 2.370,60 902,2 38,06% Spain 2.243,50 691,1 30,80% France 2.041,90 568,9 27,86% Greece 990,7 287,1 28,98% Netherlands 786,7 234,8 29,85% Czech Republic 655,8 201,2 30,68% Portugal 592,2 93,9 15,86% Austria 395,5 95,5 24,15% Belgium 377,4 122,5 32,46% Hungary 333,4 91,4 27,41% Sweden 326,9 78,2 23,92% Slovakia 279,3 119,3 42,71% Finland 274,7 74,6 27,16% Bulgaria 248,7 76,2 30,64% Ireland 227,2 52,6 23,15% Croatia 184,2 47 25,52% Young Italians who create companies, reveal that young companies are 9.8% of Italian SMEs and almost one third of new openings in 2016. This result apparently contrasts with 67% of those under 34 still at home with mom and dad, the highest percentage in Europe after Slovakia. family as a gym. “the family in Italy is a landmark because it has the resources to better withstand the crisis, but it is also a widespread entrepreneurship garrison,” reasons the president of Coldiretti (Italian farmers’ union) Roberto Moncalvo. “in many cases it is a gym and a springboard to enable young people to express their creativity.” And indeed family businesses in Italy skim 60% in the stock market and 90% in sectors such as agriculture. Commerce and agriculture favorite But what are the the areas of interest under 35? On 90,000 new businesses opened between January and September this year (while 40,000 closed), 11 000 are in the field retail trade, 7,569 in agriculture and livestock, over 7000 specialized in construction, 4,717 in catering and 2,882 in personal services. From the territorial point of view, the South won (34,334), followed by North West (21,611), Center (18,064) and North East (almost 14,000). Small is beautiful Italy is at the top in Europe for the high number of small and very small companies (and pulverization is not always an advantage): 3.8 million against 2.9 million in the UK, 2.7 million in Poland, 2.4 million in Germany, 2.2 million in Spain and just over 2 million in France. But of the nearly 4 million of Italian SMEs, 30% is driven by under 40, compared to 33% of London, 35% of Warsaw, only 21% of Berlin, 28% of Paris and as Madrid. First-generation farmers Many new entries are recorded in the agricultural sector. According to an analysis Coldiretti / IXE, half of the first-generation farmers (who come from other sectors or from different family experiences) has graduated, 57% did innovation, 74% are proud of the work done and the 78% are happier than before. Among other things, the farms of young people possess an upper surface of more than 54% of the average, a higher turnover of 75% and 50% employed for business more. Tax-breaks for hiring The 2016 budget bill also provides for the exemption of social security contributions of 100% for recruitment of young farmers under 40 for the first three years. And then 66% and 50% for the fourth and fifth year.
Tourism: Italy continues to woo huge crowds
Euromonitor ranking of the most visited cities by international guests Hong Kong, the most visited, Rome 14th, London is second Asia continues to dominate, but the British capital returns second, to the detriment of the city-state. Italy out of the top ten, but with encouraging signs of growth. But it is a partial picture and a bit ‘misleading, because the boom in tourism in the Far East, although real, is largely the product of a geographical proximity, huge population and economic growth that allows for the first time a new Asian middle class to travel for tourism and business. The semi-state Chinese city, now associated with the People’s Republic, it is also often visited like a transit destination, in order to fly to other destinations in Asia or Australia. A more truthful regard on the list indicates that London moved up to second place in the world and remains the first in Europe, in fact maintaining the status of number one tourist destination in the world and Italy, without having any single city in the ” top 10 “, has four among the top 100 – the “usual jewels”, Rome, Milan, Venice and Florence – collectively overcoming several other nations of the earth. If the “big four” were considered as a single entity, and in a way they are because the average tourist visits them in order, one after another, then this “Italian tour” would be the second most visited destination in the world, with nearly 25 million visitors per year, behind only Hong Kongs, if not the absolute number one, since the Chinese city is just one more step rather than a point of arrival. Tourism, the most visited cities in the world, Hong Kong won, Rome first among Italian cities The crown should therefore be in Hong Kong for the sixth consecutive year, with 27 million 700 thousand visitors, 8 percent more than last year, the prolonged effect of the boom in China and in general throughout the Far East: a region full of relatively contiguous megacities, a piece of the world in which live – about 3,.5 billion people, half of humanity. So it is not surprising that Hong Kong continues to be the most visited place of the globe, not least because, stresses the analysis of Euromonitor, statistics indicate that many of these visitors come to Hong Kong, maybe from Beijing or Shanghai to spend a week- end and then fly to Australia, America or Europe. They follow in the order, to complete the “top 5”, Singapore (17 million visitors), Bangkok (16 million) and Paris (14 million and 900 thousand), but each with a decline in attendance over last year; and New York is in eighth place (12 million) but visits are up. Of all the 100 cities, Asian ones represent a third of the total, and six of the top ten. China and the United States dominate the rankings with seven city each. Italian cities do remarkably well Rome is the fourteenth, with 8 million 700 thousand visitors, followed by Milan (24th with 6 million), Venice (30th with over 5 million) and Florence (40th with more than 4,000,000), all four experiencing growth compared to 2013. says Wouter Geerts, travel analyst at Euromonitor: “Italy has no city among the top ten most visited of the planet, but if taken together its four city in the ranking make it one of the most popular destinations in the world.” Agrees Angelo Rossini, Italian analyst at Euromonitor: “Our country has a strong potential for further growth in the coming years, thanks to art, shopping, catering and lifestyle, the four factors that are now the engines of world tourism. Improve direct flights, facilitate the granting of visas, and increase promotion in emerging markets, particularly in Asia, and you could certainly bring more benefits to Italy. ” Yet another reason making real estate investing in Italy all the more attractive.
Italian labour market improves thanks to Jobs Act
The reform introduced by Renzi’s government has improved employment and economy, albeit slightly Interim results on the field of the reform introduced by the Renzi government – it will take time, allowing the polls, to fully assess the structural effects – tell a two-faced reality: in early 2015, when started the reduction in contributions for new hires, the rate of occupancy was 55.9 percent and that of unemployed to 12.3 percent. Today – as they said the day before yesterday to Istat – Italians who work have risen to 57.3% and those without a job fell to 11.9 percent. Around the beautiful country 417,000 employees have been added. Something moved in the right direction, one might say at first glance, thanks to the timid economic recovery. But the result of the Jobs Act is actually a cocktail of lights and shadows: in November 2016 – and it is good news – there was 409,000 permanent contracts more than in early 2015. Too bad that young people have not benefited. The generational divide The generational divide indeed, complicit rigidities of Fornero law that extended the retirement age, has expanded: in 23 months, the number of over fifty to work in Italy has increased by 690,000 units. The new posts for youngsters between 14 and 25 were however only 36,000. More than 500,000 of our fellow citizens, and even here there is to celebrate, are back on track to seek employment. And, discordant note, layoffs jumped by 32%, facilitated – critics say – the weakening of Article 18, which makes layoffs much more difficult. Here in detail how and what has changed in the labor market in Italy in the era of the Jobs Act: REBATES HAVE WORKED WELL Hiring savings of more than 8,000 euro of contributions made to run businesses have increased the the number of permanent workers in 2015, closed with activations up 56% in 2014. In December of that year, before the relief rebates where reduced to 40%, it has seen a historic passing of stable activation of certain ones. The last photo of Istat (the sadistic office of the government) portrays 14.9 million permanent employees (last November), up sharply from 14.5 million in March 2015, when the Jobs Act became effective. But behind these positive numbers lie two weaknesses. Out of a hundred permanent contracts in 2015, only 9.5% can be classified in full as new jobs. They are workers who were never registered in the INPS (the Italian Social Security) archives as autonomous or professionals, nor have ever been the subject of mandatory reports (started, stopped, extended, transformed) since 2009. The de-casualization is admittedly welcome, but then likely to fade with the loss of tax relief and a lack of sustained economic growth in recent months, the temporary hires have returned to grow at much greater rate, while with the weakening of the economic advantage of hiring the boom of stable contracts was off. OK FOR ALL THE OVER 50 The over fifty workers are the ones that come out better from the first two years of the Jobs Act. The statistic – obviously – is a bit distorted by the effect of the Law Fornero, which raised the retirement age. The numbers are nevertheless very significant: from January 2015 to November 2016 employed workers over 50 increased by 690,000 units. Like saying that every day nearly 1,000 places were added. The reform of the Renzi government labor market, in this case, has had a marginal impact, given that the trend is a photocopy of that of 2013-2014, when in two years, workers with more than 50 years had grown to 721mila units. The unemployment rate for this age group puts Italy almost at the German level of excellence. In November last year we were at 5.6%, the lowest since 2012, half a point less than in January 2015. RECRUITMENT STAGNATES FOR YOUNGSTERS The effect of the Jobs Act is almost nil for young people between 15 and 24 years. From January 2015 to November 2016 the employed in this age group grew by only 36,000 units. And in 2016, with the reduction of rebates, new posts were only 5,000. It must be said, nevertheless, that since 2004 the annual balance for those under 24 was always negative and the unemployment rate fell in two years from 40.9% to 39.4%. Even the Observatory of Labour Consultants certifies that young people (as well as women and graduates) are those that have benefited most from the increase in stable employment. In recent months, however, the youth labor market has gone back into reverse. In April, the number of employed persons in this age group had risen for the first time in 2013 to more than a million people. Since then, however, 38,000 jobs were burnt. Things are not good even for 25-34 year olds: in 2015 unemployment for them has fallen from 18.4% to 17.2%. In November, the index had already risen to 18.9%, and since the Jobs Act have been burnt over 130,000 jobs. THE OPINION OF ENTERPRISES The new protections against dismissal (based in fact on compensation) are, according to the investment bank Barclays Bank, appreciable because companies know exactly how much can cost them to part with a worker, without waiting for the discretion of a court. HSBC Bank International recalls that the OECD credits the Jobs Act of a beneficial effect on GDP of 0.6 percentage points in five years. But it also recognizes how the companies themselves attribute two-thirds of new hires to contribution savings. A spent drug, except for a few limited cases.
His professional advice on the Italian legal system was invaluable!
Marco Magaraggia assisted us in the purchase of our house in 2007 and two years later assisted in resolving a boundary dispute with our neighbour. With the assistance of our Geometra he identified the official boundary line and visited our neighbour to resolve the dispute amicably. We later sought his advice on the subject of our Wills. He is quick to respond to requests for help and his professional advice on the Italian legal system was invaluable. The fact that he speaks English is an added bonus. Donald Goulding donaldgoulding@yahoo.co.uk
Dozza, an Italian village that’s an open sky art gallery
The walls of this town atop a hill are embellished with beautiful frescoes Click on images to enlarge : The medieval village of Dozza, one of the hundred “Most Beautiful Villages of Italy”, located south of Bologna, 6 km from Imola on the crest of a hill, overlooking the river valley and slopes gently towards the via Emilia. Why visit Dozza A Dozza, art becomes urban landscape and decorates the walls of houses, streets and squares, with a wide variety of styles, open to sudden flashes of color. It’s a real museum in the open air, where you can admire more than a hundred works of prestigious names in contemporary art. Inside the fortress, there are preserved frescoes and sketches of the work on the wall exposed to the Centre for Research and documentation of painted wall. The Biennial of Painted Wall, born in the sixties, gave Dozza a modern art gallery in the open, always available for the visit, no opening hours nor admission fees. The gallery is on the walls of houses, permanent frescoes and reliefs are created by guest artists every two years. The painted wall materially characterizes the houses facades in the historic center, and the murals are in close symbiosis with the history, the atmosphere, the smells of the old village and the gentle hills. On the walls of this village, around windows, doors, workshops will shine the colors of the paintings. Dozza has become a pictorial anthology, a true modern art gallery, outdoor, of singular interest, not only because it covers a semi-secular period, but also because the paintings are closely and intimately linked to the place for which they were designed. Where to visit and what to see at Dozza The best time to visit Dozza is definitely from May to September, to join in the occasion of the visit of the village by taking part in events such as the “Wine Festival” and the “New Biennial Painted Wall”. Its historic center still retains its original urban fabric of medieval style, and the mighty Sforza Rocca, placed at the height of the country, is in perfect harmony with the rest of the village, which follows the route of the ancient walls. In the historic center, to which painted walls give color and atmosphere, i’t’s also to visit the Church of St. Mary of the Assumption in the pool, built in the twelfth century on the remains of an ancient Roman church – it contains a table Marco Palmezzano, dated 1492 – the Rivellino, inside which was restored in the 18th century the gateway to the village. Room with a view Placed in a convent of 1200 completely renovated, Hotel Monte del Re is an ideal place to combine work and relaxation. Located on a hill overlooking the medieval town, it features an outdoor swimming pool surrounded by greenery. The old church is now used as a conference room suitable especially for conferences and seminars. Do not missat Dozza At Dozza you can not leave without visiting the Enoteca Regionale. Located in the basement of Castello Sforzesco, are exposed for selling over 800 selected wine labels. The premises also host a wine bar for tastings guided by professional sommeliers.
Italy is the 12th best loved country in the world
The 2016 country reputation ranking The countries with the highest reputation worldwide have been ranked by the Reputation Institute in its annual Country RepTrak index. A ranking to be proud of According to the Reputation Institute, Italy ranks 12th. This is great, if you are to consider that there are about 200 countries in the world and Italy ranks better than Germany (18th), France (15th), United Kingdom (13th) and Japan (14th) to name a few. The attractiveness of its touristic resorts and the quality of his exports are the two factors that most contributed to Italy’s top ranking. However, Italy’s ranking is average if you consider the European countries altogether. Indeed, among the ten top ranking countries, seven are European. They are mostly northern countries with high per capita income and standard of living. I would say that Scandinavia is a top performer, since all the countries of this peninsula rank among the top 10, with Sweden ranking first. This comes to no surprise for anybody who knows these countries. You can look at the complete rankings below, with the United States ranking rather poorly, and the 28th place. The criteria for evaluating the reputation of a country Contributor to global culture • High quality products & services • Well-educated and reliable workforce • Well-known brands • Values education • Technologically advanced.
Debt laden Italian banks render Italian real estate cheaper
The weakness of Italian banks, an opportunity for foreign investors? Italian banks have an estimated $360 billion worth of bad credit. Those are loans that will be hard to be rebate by the doors, since their financial or economic recitation doesn’t allow the stipulated payments. It is calculated that about $200 billion worth of loans will never be paid back. So, despite extremely low interest rates, the volume of real estate trading in Italy is way lower than precrisis levels, about 40% lower. Prices have stabilized at a low level. Indeed, the average is 2100 dollars per square meter. At some beautiful resorts, especially in Southern Italy and on the East Coast, in central and southern Italy, you could buy apartments at the seaside for around $1000 per square meter. Consider that Italy is a beautiful country which has drawn investors over the centuries. It is densely populated: its 310,000 km² host roughly the same population as France (around 65 million people), which has more than 500,000 km². But in Italy, the country is so full of steep hills, mountains, and semi-desertic areas, especially in the South, that human settlements can take place in roughly half of the country. This population density provides for the value of Italian real estate, which can never dramatically plummet. Since Italians care a lot for housing, the quality of Italian real estate is often outstanding, never too low. Conclusion: in my humble opinion, the Italian real estate market should have bottomed, is a good time for foreigners to take advantage, investing in one of the world’s most beautiful countries. The last real estate Observatory of Nomisma, one of Italy’s most prestigious think tanks, evidences that the interest of Italians is no longer limited to the residential sector in recent months: investment in real estate for companies has also grown. While noting a slight recovery in the housing market, in place for several years and confirmed in early 2016, Nomisma still urges caution. Certain factors – the Observatory cites the outcome of the British referendum, which sealed the release of the UK from the European Union – could undermine the stability of the macro-economic environment, with inevitable repercussions on the Italian real estate market, still far from the levels prior to the economic crisis. In fact, the increase in purchased and sold properties registered in recent years – the trades have increased as well 2014 (+ 3.6%) as in 2015 (+ 6.5%) – it was not large enough to allow a return to pre-crisis levels. Nomisma, which provides for an increase of 7.6% of trade for 2016, points out that the market trades in 13 major Italian cities were reduced by 40% in the residential sector and 50% in the non-residential. Further confirmation the modest recovery in the housing market is coming from the Observatory of casa.it, which certifies a growing interest in the residential homes. In the first half of 2016, the demand for housing has increased (+ 2.6%) – the analysis reveals that Italians are mainly seeking apartments (29%) and three-room apartments (26%) in semi-central or remote areas. But this has not been accompanied by a simultaneous increase in prices: a square meter costs on average 2,010 euro, down 0.1%.
The Italian real estate market recovers slightly in the 2Q of 2016
The last real estate Observatory of Nomisma, one of Italy’s most prestigious think tanks, evidences that the interest of Italians is no longer limited to the residential sector in recent months: investment in real estate for companies has also grown. While noting a slight recovery in the housing market, in place for several years and confirmed in early 2016, Nomisma still urges caution. Certain factors – the Observatory cites the outcome of the British referendum, which sealed the release of the UK from the European Union – could undermine the stability of the macro-economic environment, with inevitable repercussions on the Italian real estate market, still far from the levels prior to the economic crisis. In fact, the increase in purchased and sold properties registered in recent years – the trades have increased as well 2014 (+ 3.6%) as in 2015 (+ 6.5%) – was not large enough to allow a return to pre-crisis levels. Nomisma, which provides for an increase of 7.6% of trade for 2016, points out that the market trades in 13 major Italian cities were reduced by 40% in the residential sector and 50% in the non-residential. Further confirmation the modest recovery in the housing market is coming from the Observatory of casa.it, which certifies a growing interest in the residential homes. In the first half of 2016, the demand for housing has increased (+ 2.6%) – the analysis reveals that Italians are mainly seeking apartments (29%) and three-room apartments (26%) in semi-central or remote areas. But this has not been accompanied by a simultaneous increase in prices: a square meter costs on average 2,010 euro, down 0.1%.