Tuscany is a large region and surprisingly varied in look and terrain. It’s not all Cyprus Trees and rolling hills. Let me fill you in…
If you’re looking for a town with a truly wonderful link to Italian culture, this beautiful town was named after Michelangelo Buonarroti, the Renaissance artist, who was born there in 1475 and the town was renamed in his honour in 1913.
The town sits up high in the hills, 653m above sea level, meaning that the summers are fresher and just that bit more bearable during the heatwaves. It’s where all the locals who live lower down drive up to for picnics and to cool off and enjoy the mountain air. The town is home to around 1400 people including the main town area and outlying hamlets and villages.
For a small town there is an abundance of superb restaurants serving fresh, local seasonal cuisine that takes from the woods so if you love wild mushrooms, truffles, chestnuts and boar, make sure you wear stretchy trousers to fully enjoy everything on the menu. Il Cerro is a summer favourite of ours as it has lovely food and beautiful outdoor spaces, La Buca di Michelangelo pairs gorgeous food with stunning views and Trattoria Il Rifugio gives you the feeling that you’ve discovered somewhere only locals and true foodies know about.
In the autumn the town hosts a Chestnut festival called La Festa della Castagna e del Marrone DOP di Caprese Michelangelo. The town is dotted with food stalls show casing local produce and bench tables are set up for outdoor dining. Roasted chestnuts, chestnut cake you name it, they have it.
The Caprese area became less active in the last decade or so as younger generations chose to move to bigger towns for work and convenience, leaving homes empty and property prices dropped significantly. However, one of the many changes following Covid is that many Italians and foreign buyers are now re-thinking the way they live and are now seeking out homes away from the hustle and bustle of modern life (but with excellent wifi being a must). Caprese Michelangelo is fast becoming more appealing to both Italians living in larger cities so it’s an exciting time to buy.
The houses are very different in style compared to your traditional Tuscan farmhouse. Think along the lines of Swiss mountain retreat and you might be closer. The good news is that these mostly 1950s-70s builds have far more flexible planning regulations than a 15th century farmhouse meaning you can really play with the layouts to create a home in keeping with modern living that is lighter, flows well and is more energy efficient. Pair this with spectacular views and your have yourself a tempting option.
So what’s available? Unlike many other parts of Tuscany where the price tag remains high, prices in this area are still surprisingly low so at the moment it’s possible to buy a 2 bedroom apartment for around €100,000 or a detached house from €170,000. There are various ‘fractions’ of Caprese aside from the historic centre and immediate area that still fall under the district. Lovely areas such as Fragaiolo, Lama and Il Faggeto offer lovely properties so it’s worth exploring to see what’s available.
Check out our sales to see what we have. https://www.itcasa.it/en/ricerca/?wpv-wpcf-tipo-contratto=V
