Palazzo San Benedetto

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Palazzo San Benedetto

Renovating our medieval palazzo in Abruzzo, Italy - Saving a cultural heritage monument

26/07/2025

No, not written this... yet!
But if we were going to write a book, this is what the title would be. Would you buy it?

We left the UK in 2018 with our children to renovate and move into our ancient palazzo in Abruzzo, Italy. Little did we know what a long, exhausting, and expensive rollercoaster ride of a renovation journey we were beginning.

Palazzo San Benedetto, the true story about our dream to restore our unique fortified cultural heritage palazzo damaged by the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake, just one year after having bought it.

With parts of the palazzo over 1200 years old, Palazzo San Benedetto is not a project for the faint hearted, nor those still learning Italian whilst also finding out how to deal with the national Italian bureaucracy as well as the local ‘Abruzzeaucracy’

If we had known what we know now, would we have done things differently?

03/07/2025

Quick update since the last post: Yes, the builders are back! 🥳 We popped up today to meet with the boss and discuss the helical staircase leading up to the 2 bedrooms of the Terrace Apartment.
Notice that the opening where the original staircase went out into the entrance/courtyard area has now been closed up... progress! 🥳🥳

30/06/2025

Why can't life just always be simple and easy! Here I am, waiting this morning for the builders to return from a huge long break since mid-May, to be precise.
When we gave up waiting, and after our visit to their office where I did lose my £%&@ a bit I have to confess, we were advised that they will be restarting tomorrow and not today as originally communicated. The delays, we were advised, have been due to unfortunate and unavoidable reasons, so it's good to know we have not been purposefully neglected for other larger and more important projects.
We are thankful to be working with such an excellent company with highky skilled workers so, all being well, they will now complete Step 1 of Phase 1 quickly and efficiently before they, and the rest of the country, down tools for the Italian summer holidays: Ferragosto where nothing gets done during the majority of the month of August.
With the original completion date of the contract being 4th May, please all pray for us that this won't extend beyond 4th August 🙏. At least the building company have, themselves, written a penalty clause into the contract where, for each day late, a financial forfeit is made. That shows the integrity of the company and whilst not a huge daily amount, it adds up and will help to pay towards the additional months' rent we will incur (which was not in our budget) until we can get the Terrace Apartment of our palazzo cleaned and ready to move in.
Watch this space!

fans

23/06/2025

Doesn't this just make you think " but why?" 🤔

It's always useful to think ahead and plan what you need in a room and precisely where. We always make sure when renovating that each bed side has at least 2 sockets (one for a lamp and one to charge your phone) as well as plenty of other sockets throughout the room in carefully planned positions.

So here we are in yet another hotel bedroom where we are struggling to agree on what to stick where 😉

21/06/2025

As promised in the last 2 posts, here are some snaps from Tagliacozzo where my friend Alison and I ended up having lunch and a mooch around. Isn't it beautiful! It is one of the 'Borghi piu belli d'Abruzzo' and when you flick through the pics you will see why. In fact, last year Andrew and I visited and we made a film for our YT channel, it's well worth a watch if you like the look of this picturesque town.

20/06/2025

This was the 2nd mercatino I visited yesterday with my friend Alison en route to have lunch and a mooch around Tagliacozzo. Just look at the size of it! We didn't buy anything though as we didn't get there until 12.30 and, as with most shops in small places they shut very punctually for their long lunch break; in fact at 12.55 we were all ushered to the door!
Next stop was the beautiful town of Tagliacozzo and I will post pics tomorrow as those of you thinking of visiting Abruzzo will want to add this stunning place to your list...

19/06/2025

Fabulous day out today with my friend Alison. We do both love a good mercatino usato. Well, we managed to squeeze two fabulous ones in this morning before a visit to Tagliacozzo for lunch and a mooch around. The first one is Mercatino in Fiera in Trasacco. I ended up buying 2 items here - see the last photo and have a guess what I paid.
Tomorrow I will post the 2nd mercatino.

16/06/2025

Yesterday morning, we showed a small group around our palazzo. We always begin with the newest part of the 1000sqm building which dates back to the 1500s. This is Phase 1 of the renovation; Step 1 - the Terrace Apartment, which will be our temporary home until we complete Step 2 of Phase 1 - our future and forever home and can then rent out the Terrace Apartment. Then we continue through the medeival courtyard past the ancient cisterna d'acqua and our little chapel before heading downstairs to even older parts. This is Phase 2 where there will be a sauna, huge entertainment space, bar, our 11th century renovated watch/dove tower as well as a further 3 guest apartments, one of which dates back to the year 800 AD!

14/06/2025

We are so excited; our new radiator has been delivered which will be going into the master bedroom of the Terrace Apartment. Isn't it beautiful!

But what makes this radiator incredibly special is not only it's gorgeous exterior design. but its innovation.

This radiator is the world’s first Aluminium bi metal radiator, using the same timeless elegance of cast iron radiators, but using advanced modern manufacturing techniques and materials.

Whilst cast iron radiators are very efficient, this does not always equate to economy. In their case efficiency means extremely good at heating, but not necessarily economical to use. Cast iron radiators use a lot of water inside the large cavities to produce the necessary heat, thus, your heating system has to heat a lot of water to pass through the cavities, equating to a higher energy output and cost.

This Aluminium bi metal radiator, cleverly combines two different types of metal; aluminium and steel. An aluminium exterior with steel tubing inside transporting the hot water. This innovative design means 60% less hot water is used to produce the same heat output as a cast iron radiator. This equates to a much lower energy output and cost.

And what's more, Andrew is now a registered distributor of these fabulous radiators so get in touch if you love the design and want an economical radiator.

fans

12/06/2025

Fun day filming with Olga and Johnny for 'Help! We Bought A Village' We were in Series 2 already two years ago and now will be back in Series 4 which will be broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK this Autumn. The show has also been sold to broadcasters in the USA, Australia, Spain and Malaysia as well as being included on in-flight libraries on long haul flights.
Long days of filming and lots of talking is incredibly tiring but the camera people True North TV send are always so lovely and great fun so it is always really enjoyable.
We do not get paid as contributors but we are very excited to share our renovation journey with a global audience.

To follow our palazzo progress remember to follow us here on FB, we are also on Instagram and YouTube.

fans

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