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Ashley Campolattaro

Part I - Pasta, Prosecco, and Property: Our Path to Owning in Italy


Prosecco Pasta Property Italy

We bought a home in Italy! If you know us, aside from our love for Italy, this probably comes as somewhat out of character. We’ve led a pretty straightforward life…marriage, moving to suburbia, kids, etc. It’s quite possibly the craziest thing we’ve ever done. But, when you marry your high school sweetheart and the biggest move you’ve made in your life is 60 short miles over the Potomac River from Maryland to Virginia, it might be time to shake things up a bit!


Dario grew up traveling to visit extended family in Italy every year. In fact, staying with relatives in Italy are some of his earliest childhood memories. When he was in his twenties, he spent a summer living in Sorrento, working at the infamous Grand Hotel Cocumella.

Sorrento Spaghetti alla puttanesca italian cookign recipes family
Here we are in 1991, trying to replicate Dario's Neapolitan Aunt's Spaghetti alla puttanesca after he returned from his summer in Sorrento.

Dario had always recalled those memories so fondly and in 1999 we took our our first trip as a couple to Italy. It was supposed to be our "last hurrah" before thinking about starting a family. Sometimes thinking about things is like going to look at a litter of puppies...you're getting a puppy! Well, by the time we went, we were fortunate to be pregnant very quickly with our oldest son, Jackson.



viareggio beach tuscan beaches
1999 in Viareggio, visiting Zio Roberto. Fairly certain that was a pasta and pizza belly and not pregnancy, at least not just yet!


Our First Italy Trip Together

I was only weeks into my pregnancy on that trip. All of the new smells of Italy had me slightly nauseous and I didn’t even sip a drop of wine. We hit many of the typical first-time Italy trip destinations: Rome, Florence, Naples, Capri and the Ligurian coast.


My love affair with Italy was ignited and obviously, we knew we had to go back, but growing our family, building careers and making several local moves took center stage for the next whirlwind years.


Rome italy travel vacation traveling with kids in Europe
Our boys, Jackson, Max and Wesly, in Rome in 2011..

Building Our Family Memories & Traditions


 Campolattaro Italy Campania Benevento

Finally, we decided it was time to get back to Italy.  We packed a lot into that first trip with our three young sons, Jackson, Max and Wesley. We hit many of the same spots and a couple of new ones in less than two weeks.


We were amazed with how well the boys traveled. Strategic gelato breaks and leaning into the Italian culture of a pausa (Italian afternoon naptime when even the shops close down for a couple of hours) were key! They were great travelers and we wondered why hadn't done this sooner! These trips soon became our annual summer vacation, extending the length of our time by a week or so every year. Since then, we've traveled extensively throughout Italy, including a couple of visits to the town of Campolattaro in the picturesque region of Campania.


Turning Loss Into Legacy

The first time Dario and I started considering the possibility of owning a piece of Italy was sadly when Dario’s 80+ year old Zio (Uncle) Roberto on his Mom’s side passed away suddenly in 2013. He was a professor of music and lived in a tiny apartment in La Spezia. La Spezia is a lovely town located in northwest Italy, along the Ligurian Sea, situated between Genoa and Pisa. It's known for its picturesque harbor, historic center, and proximity to the famous Cinque Terre coastal villages.


pescia italy italian cemetary tombstone grave mausoleum
Zio Roberto was buried in Pescia, just outside of Lucca along with his parents.

Dario and his sister, Isabella, were the only living relatives and we inherited half of Zio Roberto’s apartment along with Isabella. His uncle had lived in this home for most of his adult life, and unfortunately, despite being in a desirable area, the apartment was in a complete state of disrepair. Managing a total renovation from abroad seemed daunting, especially considering the considerable expenses involved. With college on the not too distant horizon for our boys, we decided to sell it as-is, which surprisingly happened relatively easily.


This experience left us with lingering thoughts, what ifs and dreams about the allure of someday owning a piece of Italy.

Maybe someday...


Stay tuned for more of our story in Part II, coming soon!

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