House and pet sitting while experiencing a slow life near Castiglione dei Pepoli, Italy

Infos

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  Description

  A stone farmhouse on the edge of Monte Catarelto — where WWII trenches still cut through the woods, the meadows roll on forever, and the sun sets behind the Apennine ridges every evening like it’s putting on a show.
  
  I’m a business consultant by trade — I work in innovation and sustainability — but my Puglia roots run deeper than any job title. That means I cook (well), I share generously, and I say what I think. Our wood-fired oven turns out pizzas and focacce that have ruined more than one guest for anything store-bought. In June we pick cherries from the orchard by the basketful; the roses bloom all summer; the vegetable garden spills out of stone-walled beds and terracotta pots in a beautiful, ongoing experiment.
  
  Then there are the three:
  
  Akea — cappa di fumo, “cloak of smoke” in Sardinian. A Cane Corso × Amstaff mix, and the wise one of the pack. Don’t push her buttons.
  
  Rocchetto — named after the nearby Rocchetta Mattei, the fairytale castle up the road. A Tibetan Spaniel cross. He’s the boss, and he knows it.
  
  Diana — our Kurzhaar (German Shorthaired Pointer), named after the goddess of the hunt. Pure joy on four legs, ready to chase anything that moves.
  
  Days here have a rhythm: long walks in the woods, the orto to tend, something slow cooking, a glass of wine on the table, the dogs sprawled somewhere nearby. I’m calm by nature, I love long conversations over good food, and I think a house is at its best when it’s shared.
  
  One thing, said plainly: no fascists, no racists. Everyone else — very welcome.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Pratique d’une langue

  Jardinage

  S’occuper des animaux

  Aide à la maison

  Garde de maison et d'animaux
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  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Technologie

  

  Dev. durable

  

  Politique/justice sociale

  

  Animaux de compagnie

  

  Culture

  

  Ferme

  

  Événements/vie sociale

  

  Soin des plantes

  

  Photographie

  

  Musique

  

  Jardinage

  

  Cuisine et alimentation

  

  Art et design

  

  Animaux
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  Cultural exchange
  
  This is a corner of Italy that doesn’t end up on most tourist maps — and that’s exactly its charm.
  
  What you can learn here:
  
  • Real Italian cooking — not the Instagram version. Pizza and focaccia from the wood-fired oven (dough, fermentation, the proper way to handle a peel), pasta fresca, slow Sunday lunches, and whatever the orto and the orchard are giving us that week. If you’re curious, the kitchen is open.
  • Living with dogs — three very different personalities, three different approaches. You’ll pick up a lot about reading dogs, walking them in real terrain, and life with the kind of dogs that have a proper job to do.
  • The slow life of an Apennine casolare — orto, fruit trees, wood-fired oven, the rhythm of seasons in a stone house. Small things, done well.
  • Italian, properly — I’m happy to speak Italian with you if you want to learn or practice. Pugliese expressions included, free of charge.
  
  Where you are:
  
  • Bologna in 40 minutes by car — the food capital of Italy, medieval porticoes, aperitivo culture, a city worth getting to know.
  • Florence in 1 hour — yes, really. Easy day trip.
  • Rocchetta Mattei right up the road — a wildly eccentric 19th-century castle, half Moorish, half fairytale.
  • Local sagre and festivals all summer and autumn — village food festivals where one ingredient (chestnuts, tortellini, wild boar, polenta) gets celebrated for an entire weekend. The real Italy.
  • Trails, woods, swimming spots in the rivers, and the WWII trenches of Monte Catarelto for the curious.

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  Aide

  What we’re looking for
  
  Honestly? Someone to hold the fort while we’re away — and enjoy it.
  
  That means:
  
  • The dogs — feeding them, walking them in the woods, and giving them the company they’re used to. They’re the heart of the house. If you love dogs, you’ll love them: Akea wise, Rocchetto the boss, Diana joyfully chaotic.
  • The garden and orto — light watering, a bit of weeding, picking what’s ripe (cherries, tomatoes, whatever the season offers). Nothing back-breaking.
  • The house — keeping an eye on things, basic tidying. Treat it like your own.
  • Small odd jobs — little fixes, a bit of tending here and there. Nothing technical or heavy.
  
  The pace is the point. This isn’t a farm with a punch-clock. Mornings are slow, afternoons are yours, evenings are for sunsets, cooking, and good conversation. The Apennines are right there — woods, trails, the Rocchetta Mattei, swimming spots in summer.
  
  What we ask: be reliable, be kind to the dogs, treat the place with care, and bring some good energy. The rest takes care of itself.

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Italien: Courant
  Anglais: Intermédiaire

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il souhaitait faire partager sa propre langue ou en apprendre une nouvelle.
  Contactez-le pour en savoir plus.
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  Hébergement

  Accommodation
  
  You’ll have your own space in the bright, spacious living room — a proper bed (not a sofa), big windows letting in plenty of light, and a large communal table where most of the good things in this house happen: long breakfasts, dinners, conversations that run late.
  
  Private bathroom just for you.
  
  You’ll share the kitchen and common areas with us — which, honestly, is half the point. That’s where the wood-fired oven lives, where the cooking happens, and where the dogs come to check on everyone.
  
  Wi-Fi works, the house is warm in winter (stone walls + wood stove) and cool in summer, and there’s a garden to sit in whenever you want a moment to yourself.
  
  Food is a big part of life here, and we're happy to share it. We provide three home-cooked meals a day, every day — and this is guaranteed regardless of how many hours you actually end up working. Cooking is something we genuinely enjoy (think wood-fired pizza and focaccia, fresh pasta, slow Sunday lunches), and the kitchen is open and shared, so you're always welcome to join in.
  
  The house has its own vegetable garden (orto) and a fruit orchard, so everything we grow is freely available to you — cherries, tomatoes, herbs, and whatever the season is giving us. Pick what's ripe and enjoy it.
  
  In return, the help is light and relaxed: looking after the dogs, keeping an eye on the house, and tending the garden and orchard. We don't ask for a minimum number of hours — for us it's much more about a good match and shared affinity than about counting time. The pace here is slow and the rhythm is the point. As long as the dogs are cared for and the place is treated with respect, the rest takes care of itself.

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  Autres infos...

  Practical info & good things to know
  
  Getting around:
  
  • Train station 5 minutes from the house — direct line to Bologna, very easy. You don’t need a car to come or to escape for a day in the city.
  • Village (Lagaro) 3 minutes by car — small but it has the essentials: bar, basics, the rhythms of a real Italian paese.
  • We’re near Castiglione dei Pepoli, in the Apennines between Bologna and Florence.
  
  On your time off:
  
  • Hop the train to Bologna for the day — porticoes, food, music, life.
  • Hiking and trail walks straight from the door.
  • Rocchetta Mattei — the eccentric fairytale castle nearby, absolutely worth a visit.
  • Lakes (Lago di Suviana, Brasimone) for swimming and picnics in summer.
  • Sagre in every nearby village from late spring through autumn.
  
  How we live:
  
  • Slow pace. Mornings are quiet, evenings are for sitting at the table.
  • The kitchen is open and shared — if you cook, even better.
  • We’re not strict, but we ask for the basics: respect for the house, the dogs, and the rhythm we live by.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il aimait accueillir les digital nomads.

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  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  Only dogs

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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  Mes animaux

  

  Akea

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