• Don't force them into doing a job. They will do it at their own time, so you need to accept that. You can be quite subtle about pressure but the best way is to take a natural interest in their work and visit them naturally.

< Italian families | Living in Italy >

If you're thinking about residing in hidden Italy, you need somewhere to live. These pages provide personal experience concerning the complexity of buying a property in Italy. By way of encouragement, it has been a good experience despite some disappointments and setbacks. It is certainly worth the effort and is a privilege to live amongst natives.

A few points about working with, and dealing with Italians:

• Their craftsmanship is truly excellent. They have a long tradition of working with their hands and still exercise this to a great extend. If you order a product by an Italian craftsman, you can be assured that the quality will be excellent and will come with much pride and satisfaction
• Italians are *not* lazy by any stretch of the imagination. While they might not use the frenzy of activity sometimes found in northern European workers, they will work methodically and systematically.
• They do not *multitask*. The idea of tacking several aspects of a job simultaneously is alien to them, so don't ask them to do it.