Increasing numbers of non-Italians are buying property in Puglia, either to live here full time or do the Schengen Shuffle. Foreign visitors to Puglia were up 20% in the first 8 months of 2024 over the same period in 2023.

Both holiday visitors and new residents or property owners are keen to immerse themselves in the local culture – though demand for cultural activities such a cooking classes, wine tasting, art history talks or tours and so on exceeds supply, particularly outside of high season. Italians are always keen to improve their English and vice versa and welcome the opportunity to do this outside of a classroom setting.

New residents can feel quite isolated and are keen to meet people, both Italian and other ex-pats, and both long term residents and local Italians are keen, in my experience. to be able to sometimes experience something outside of the Puglian culture or cuisine, wonderful as it is.

For all these reasons, we always wanted Palazzo Viva to act as a hub for locals and expats alike, and to offer lots of activities and events such as pop ups sometimes featuring local specialties but also sometimes showcasing different cuisines and cultures.

Palazzo Viva will be an investment-backed business though, and it would be a pity if events and activities were in any way limited by their profitability or staffing needs. With this in mind we would like to start up a not-for-profit Associazione Culturale, based out of the Palazzo but funded by a modest membership fee and possible local grants or sponsorship.

Events and activities would only be open to members but both locals and expats all over Puglia would be able to join. We would also offer holiday membership and all guests at the Palazzo would automatically be members.

This is very much in the planning stages so it would be really appreciated if you could complete our survey here to give us an idea of demand and the sort of event and activities that people would be interested in. Thank You!