You are exactly where you want to be
We are Gaby, Sam and Stefan. Since 2025 we are building our 5-hectares homestead on a hill in Ripatransone, Le Marche.
When we discovered our little land, we probably already visited over 100 Italian properties in Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio. Then, one day, we decided to fly to the other side of the Sibillini mountain range. We arrived arrived at Ancona airport and instantly fell in love with the region, previously unknown to us.
Our hill in Ripa was abandoned for years and fully overgrown – but all we see is its intense potential. Thus, at the age of 50, we decided to learn Italian and become farmers.
or discover more about Ripatransone, Le Marche or the rest of Italy
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Unforgettable stories from the Villa Santi water tap
In the first year, living off-grid, we had one huge problem: no running water. So, our daily routine was a 400-meter uphill walk to our car, a 5 minute drive to the local water point in Villa Santi – and back. Carrying 120 liters of water in heavy bidons down the slope felt like a…
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How to Pronounce ‘Le Marche’ (And Why Its Name is Secretly a History Lesson)
How to pronounce Le Marche? Because of how it is spelled, English speakers often default to a French-style pronunciation, saying something like “Le Marsh”. In Italian, it is pronounced [leh ˌmarkeh].
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What do the signs at the entrance of Ripatransone really mean?
When we first arrived in Ripatransone, it felt like Ripatransone was collecting titles! We wondered: what do these actually mean? Are they just clever marketing, or is there real proof behind the promise?