We've finally taken the decision to buy a house in Italy - I'm so excited! We have a week off in March and may visit to start looking at some property. We have driven down from mid-Wales many times but never in late winter/early spring. I would welcome any info re road conditions at that time of year. We normally drive down through France and the Mont Blanc tunnel.
Grazie mille

Greetings,

After 5 years of paperwork, we travel to Miami this week to apply for an Italian passport. The dream is becoming real. The move will come for us (Karen, Frank and our Jack Russell terrier Poppy) in spring or summer. We will be over in late March (first day a spring, a symbolic choosing) for a short readiness trip, and would love to connect with like-minded souls for corrected coffee. or vino locale. 

Last year in Pisa we parked the car in a disabled parking space and displayed my 84 year old mother's UK disabled parking badge on the dashboard of our hired car.

A notice beside the disabled space gave a telephone number to use in case of any difficulty or query.  We rang the number and in Italian explained the situation and asked if we could use the space.  The girl on the other end of the phone took the details of the UK disabled parking badge and said "fine, go ahead".  We did.

My sister is renting a house near Rome for 1 month and has been asked to sign a contract even though its a holiday home normally rented for 1/2 weeks.

Is this normal in Italy? I'm not sure how to advise her.