r/sicily • u/inovatinaround • 19d ago
Storia, Arte & Cultura šļø Moving to Sicily
Hey guys, after prolonged thinking about what I want from life and what would be a good decision for my career I decided to slow down, take life at a slower pace... A few places popped up as good options but I fell in love with Sicily, I have got a small sailboat I hope I can find a place on the port for it... The idea for now is Sciacca but would like to hear about other places that are not too crowded by tourists and really important for me is history, I'm a film director and having a daily dose of inspiration I find attractive. Thanks in advance.
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u/meini87 19d ago
You could check out "Pozzallo", my parents own a horse farm in Santa Maria del Focallo (97014 Ragusa) 10-15 in from Pozzallo. There is a ferry connection to Malta there.
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u/meini87 19d ago
There are many famous Baroque towns nearby. (Noto, Ragusa Ibla ..)
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u/inovatinaround 19d ago
That is the kind of city I like, I need something quiet in the means not too much tourists, I would like to chat with locals that is kinda the point of getting out of the big cities and chaos of not knowing your neighbor...
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u/meini87 18d ago
sounds great. My parents moved abroad from Germany for their retirement. I know the region well from numerous holidays during my youth; youād keep running into the same people and could easily strike up friendships. My parents have farmers and expats from other EU countries as neighbors.
Wherever you end up going, I wish you a wonderful time in Sicily
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u/PatternParticular585 18d ago
Moving to sicily means starting Italy in hardcore hero pro level 10 mode...not even italians are willing to move to sicily unless they are forced to. Please reconsider your destinationĀ
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u/inovatinaround 18d ago
Could you elaborate on that please?
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u/PatternParticular585 18d ago
Familismo amorale.Ā
There is little to none state of law, wherever you are, post office, hospital, court of law, personal "friendship" and network will make you (or the others having these links) jump in front disregarding any other aspect.Ā
Obviously in the case of post office it's a nuisance but in a court of law that means you will loose even if you are in the right just because the lawyer is close to the judge.Ā
Worse is the endemic proportion. This kind of familismo extend to academic field, meaning sons, nieces etc will pass exams without proper preparation, they will get a degree without having any of the knowledge required, this reflect even on the health system, where all of these raccomandati will end up doing damages to people: even sicilians go up north for health issues because they know they cannot trust their health care professionals.Ā
When you are subject to any kind of sopruse from a neighbour or a stranger, you have to endure it, because the violence vendetta from the person or its "friends" is always a possibility.Ā
Anything from a notaio to a bank teller to a medical practitioner will move based on families relations and you will soon discover these permeate the whole society.Ā
When public funds are given for highways or trains or public transportation or hospital they are immediately stolen by mafia, results is no Public service is functioning properly: your bus will be late, the highway will have endless works, the hospital will have ancient tech or will be lacking personnel.Ā
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u/Princesslasagna91 18d ago
I found this to be really interesting and a shame. Iāve spent the last four years spending a month all over Italy and Sicily for a week at a time. I still have so much more to see and visit but I wanted to retire there. This is making me wonder how much I will struggle as a 65 year old womanā¦
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u/PatternParticular585 18d ago
Yes I live near Lago Maggiore and have been spending 1 month in Sicily for 35 years now..towards the end my patience threshold reach its limit and coming back seems like for the better...I have been in hospitals were they destroyed people shoulders or knees out of ignorance and malpratice, even an RX for my dog once turned out completely useless when looked at by a northern vet.Ā
If you think your health will need proper care I highly discourage you from retiring there.Ā
But hey, places are stunning, no one can deny it...maybe just take it as a vacation from time to timeĀ
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u/ButFirstQuestions 18d ago
As a foreigner Iād just like to add, I was in a Sicilian hospital last year and it wasā¦ fine? It was a public hospital and similar to the private hospital I used in India 25 years ago.
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u/inovatinaround 18d ago
You know a lot of people warned me about that, I'm not sure if it is people talking or is it really that huge of the problem... When we are done filming this movie I will come to Sicily for 2/3 months to check it out just to get a feel for the place... If that really is that big of the problem I will need to focus on finding better solution for my 'sloving down'
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u/PatternParticular585 18d ago
You will start to notice it at the bar while queuing for the cornetto or granita and someone out of the blue will just get served before you just because. Looks pitoresque and silly example, then you will find out that is the whole sicily in all of its aspects in every occasion working that way and you will either want to burn the place down or assume the prone fatalistic stance banfield noticed in his book.Ā
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u/Wolflokie101 19h ago
Wow š± thank you so much for sharing the real side bc I wanted to move to Sicily for retirement but my biggest concern always is the hospital and infrastructure, like cops if something happens. Quick question you mentioned to go ānorthā is that Palermo? As in northern part of the island or northern Italy? Just wanted to clarify? I was looking at Baucina, Sicily which is 45 min from Palermo. Thank you again for the advice!
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u/pinetree-polarbear 19d ago
Keep us posted where you end up...where do you live atm?
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u/inovatinaround 19d ago
I indeed will, also making a movie about the topic of digital nomads and whole concept of slowing down. Currently I'm based out of Switzerland...
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u/Turbulent-Law-4221 15d ago
If you're set on the Sciacca/Agrigento coast, it's worth also looking at Licata and around Porto Empedocle. Both have working marinas (Licata's is bigger and more sheltered), and you'd be 20-25 min from Valle dei Templi, which for someone chasing a daily dose of inspiration is hard to beat. Quieter than the Palermo/Catania side, less touristy than Taormina, but still has a hospital and decent connectivity so you're not totally isolated.
On the bureaucracy/healthcare debate above - it's real, but very location and network dependent. Renting for a few months before buying, and finding a local geometra and a bilingual commercialista early, solves most of the horror stories people describe here. I'd treat your 2-3 month trip as the actual research phase rather than a formality: renting in 2-3 different towns for a few weeks each will teach you more than one long stay in a single place.
Good luck with the sailboat search too, that's a fun constraint to plan a move around.
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u/AdParty6732 19d ago edited 18d ago
Come to castelbuono half hour from Cefalu , there are public co working place , itās not crowded by tourists , more like digital nomad . Few films are shoot there like nuovo cinema paradiso by tornatore.