Italy move: Charles “Chuck” H. Stevens and Berardino “Ben” Di Rienzo began looking for property in Italy in 2021 after realizing that they “needed to start enjoying” the lives that they’d “worked so hard to afford.”
Courtesy Chuck Stevens and Ben DiRienzo
Mountainous region: They focused their search on the town of Vinchiaturo Molise in southern Italy’s Molise, known as the ‘forgotten region,’ which happens to be where Di Rienzo’s family are from.New home: The couple found a listing for a two-bedroom property in a section of town close to where Di Rienzo’s great aunt had once lived and went on to purchase it for just under 100,000 euros (around $108,000).Permanent relocation: While they’d planned to move back and forth between Italy and the US, they quickly found that they preferred life in Italy.Big decision: ‘Each time that we came, it was harder to leave,’ says Stevens, noting that discovering that the company he worked for would be relocating to the west coast of the US played a factor in their decision.Family ties: The pair, pictured with Ben’s aunt, have been welcomed with open arms by the locals, particularly Di Rienzo’s family, who are thrilled that they’ve decided to stay for good.Dining room: They regularly have ‘wonderful three-hour gourmet lunches,’ particularly during the summer time, both at home and at local restaurants.Renovation work: Although their house had previously been renovated, it came with a ruin attached to the back that they plan to transform into a large rustic kitchen.Future project: The house also came with a second ruin, located across the street, which they intend to transform into a one-bedroom guest house at a later stage.
