The image depicts a small town with numerous buildings, featuring a mix of stone and white structures, set against a blue sky with wispy clouds.
The image depicts a young child crouched in a lush garden, surrounded by vibrant greenery and an orange tree, holding a bowl and tending to the plants.
A young girl in a white hat and black coat walks down the street with three cats on a sunny day. The cats are dark brown and tortoiseshell.
The image depicts a narrow, paved street in an old town, lined with buildings and featuring a few parked cars, set against a clear blue sky.
The image depicts a living room with a couch, plants, and artwork, featuring beige curtains and a white ceiling, exuding a warm and inviting atmosphere.
The image depicts a cluttered room with guitars on the walls, a desk, and various musical equipment, illuminated by natural light from a window.
The image depicts a family of five posing in a cave, surrounded by rocks and leaves, with the adults and children dressed in warm winter attire.
The image depicts a woman and a child standing in front of a vibrant float featuring colorful figures and artwork, set against a backdrop of buildings.
A child is engaged in creative art, sitting at a table with a paintbrush in hand, surrounded by a canvas and paint, with a parent or caregiver present in the background.
The image depicts a young boy and girl in a playroom, with the boy feeding the girl a blue candy. The room is decorated with colorful toys and artwork.
The image shows five women posing for a photo, wearing festive Christmas accessories and holding a ticket to the movie \"Grinch\". They are in a room with a poster on the wall.
The image depicts a hilltop town with white buildings and a church steeple, set against a cloudy sky and a lush green landscape.
The image depicts a serene outdoor scene featuring a house, lush plants, and a staircase, set against a clear blue sky.
The image depicts a man and woman posing for a photo on a balcony overlooking a town, with a serene body of water in the background.

Learn about our culture, history and traditions while living in a country house in Basilicata, Italy

  • Italy
  • Last activity : 11 Jun 2025

Profile information

  • rating

    Host rating

    80 %

  • Last replied

    Last replied

    11 Jun 2025

  • feedbacks

    Feedback

    44

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    Email verified

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Availability

  2025 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    We are a friendly, happy couple with two grown-up children; a son, Vincenzo who is in Sardinia studying to become a doctor and a daughter, Valentina who has graduated in languages and running an English Language School, She lives above us and is a mother of two adorable children, Sebastian 9 years old and Olivia 3 Years old. My husband is a chemical engineer and now that he has retired from work, he loves spending his time in the countryside.. I have retired from teaching English as a second language. We both love socializing and meeting new people.

    We live in a country house located on the outskirts of Montescaglioso, a town rich in history and traditions situated in the Basilicata Region, in Southern Italy.


    The nearest city (a 20 min. drive away) is Matera, a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is a fascinating city, famous for its 'Sassi' and for having been the location for Mel Gibson's film The Passion. It has lots of bars, restaurants, coffee shops and of course great shopping!! It's an amazing place to explore if you enjoy cultural experiences, history and architecture.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Gardening
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Our candidates will learn something about Italian culture. Living in a small town in the south of Italy, they will taste the real Italian traditional food. They will live with a family in a big house surrounded by a garden and lots of genuine products that nature gives us. They will improve their English as part of the family is English and find a lot of new friends apart from having a new family here with us.

  • Help

    Help

    Interested candidates should email us with what skills they could offer so that we can assess suitability. Ideal applicants should be active and fit with a friendly mature outlook on life who are seeking to find out and discover Southern Italy. But it will appeal to anyone who is interested in art, culture, architecture, agriculture and good food.

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent
    Italian: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    You will be staying in the guest room, which is part of the house, but totally independent. It consists of a bedroom and a personal bathroom. Within the bedroom, there is a bed, a built- in wardrobe, two bedside cabinets, a table, an easy chair and a private shower room with toilet, sink and bidet.

    The guest room overlooks the garden where you can find a vineyard and a variety of fruit trees such as a fig tree, a plum tree and an apple tree. It doesn't have its own cooking facilities but we will provide a small fridge so that you can keep drinks cool. See photos attached.

    Meals provided will be self-service breakfast and a typical Montese lunch prepared by the host, Maria Carmela. We will enjoy lunch together with a glass or two of local wine in the tavernetta. You will need your own transport if you wish to visit the surrounding area. There are buses which take you there and back to Matera every hour. The closest airport is Bari and there are buses which take you there from Matera.

    In exchange for free accommodation, self service breakfast and two meals which are served at lunchtime and dinnertime, we require five hours work everyday (usually 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. but this can be flexible). It would be nice to have lunch and dinner with the hosts, in the tavernetta, so as to feel part of the family. Most of the afternoons and the evenings constitute your free time to explore the local area or simply relax and enjoy reading a book in the tavernetta or outside on the patio under the porch (I have a wide variety of English novels you could choose from).

    The house is surrounded by the countryside and by its own garden. A ten minute walk, will take you to town, where you can visit the Benedictine Abbey dating back to the year 1000 A.D. and see many old churches in the historical part of the town. Apart from Montescaglioso, particularly recommended is Matera and the beaches of Metaponto on the Ionian Coast (a 20 min. drive from my town) where you can see relics dating back to four or five centuries B.C. when Metaponto was an ancient Greek Colony. It's a great location where you can learn about the real Italy!!!

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    I live on the outskirts of my town and there is lots of space for parking ...

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

Host ref number: 835255364465

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Photos

The image depicts a young child crouched in a lush garden, surrounded by vibrant greenery and an orange tree, holding a bowl and tending to the plants.
The image depicts a small town with numerous buildings, featuring a mix of stone and white structures, set against a blue sky with wispy clouds.
A young girl in a white hat and black coat walks down the street with three cats on a sunny day. The cats are dark brown and tortoiseshell.
The image depicts a narrow, paved street in an old town, lined with buildings and featuring a few parked cars, set against a clear blue sky.
The image depicts a living room with a couch, plants, and artwork, featuring beige curtains and a white ceiling, exuding a warm and inviting atmosphere.
The image depicts a cluttered room with guitars on the walls, a desk, and various musical equipment, illuminated by natural light from a window.
The image depicts a family of five posing in a cave, surrounded by rocks and leaves, with the adults and children dressed in warm winter attire.
The image depicts a woman and a child standing in front of a vibrant float featuring colorful figures and artwork, set against a backdrop of buildings.
 Show all photos
A child is engaged in creative art, sitting at a table with a paintbrush in hand, surrounded by a canvas and paint, with a parent or caregiver present in the background.
The image depicts a young boy and girl in a playroom, with the boy feeding the girl a blue candy. The room is decorated with colorful toys and artwork.
The image shows five women posing for a photo, wearing festive Christmas accessories and holding a ticket to the movie \"Grinch\". They are in a room with a poster on the wall.
The image depicts a hilltop town with white buildings and a church steeple, set against a cloudy sky and a lush green landscape.
The image depicts a serene outdoor scene featuring a house, lush plants, and a staircase, set against a clear blue sky.
The image depicts a man and woman posing for a photo on a balcony overlooking a town, with a serene body of water in the background.

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Homestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in ItalyHomestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in EuropeHomestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in BasilicataFamily ItalyLast minute Homestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in Italy

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