Molise Region: A Travel Escape From the Rat Race

From 'downshifting' to 'albergo diffuso'

MOLISE, Italy, February 24, 2010 - One of Italy's smallest regions, the quiet rural backwater of
Molise is beginning to lure refugees from the high-pressure lifestyles of the
industrialised cities of northern Europe.

(Photo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100224/378081 )

Often glossed over in a few pages in the guidebooks, Molise offers an
uncontaminated nature with snow-capped mountains in the winter and sandy
Adriatic beaches for the summer. In between lies an unspoilt landscape that
provides a habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including wolves, deer and
wild boar, and a therapy for nature-lovers seeking relief from the stresses
of urban living. Add attractive medieval hill-top towns, delicious
agricultural products ranging from olive oil to wine and prized truffles, a
proud local culinary tradition and hospitable people, and one can understand
the allure of this corner of Italy where time seems to stand still.

A small colony of Dutch immigrants has already responded to the lure of
the wild, moving to Molise some 10 years ago, before the concept of
"downshifting" became fashionable. Downshifting is a social trend whereby
individuals decide to abandon a materialistic lifestyle for a less stressful
life elsewhere.

The concept was popularised by the British writer and broadcaster Tracey
Smith, who founded International Downshifting Week in 2005.

Sietske and Hans Poorte put the theory into practice in 2001, when they
moved to a farmhouse at Monteciccardo to open their own bed and breakfast.
besides a few tussles with the local bureaucracy, it has been worth it. "If
you want harmony and quiet, this is the right place," the Dutch couple told
the magazine "Io Donna".

Others have followed their example, sometimes accepting to work harder
for less money, but rewarded by the chance to live life in a more human
dimension and at a more natural pace. That is also the idea behind the
"albergo diffuso", diffuse hotels that make use of rooms in existing
buildings of artistic or architectural interest to provide high quality
accommodation for travelers. Local administrators hope the formula can work
well in Molise's lesser known towns and villages, preserving ancient houses
from ruin, bringing life into depopulated areas and providing an extra source
of income for locals otherwise mainly engaged in agriculture. The diffuse
hotels can provide a first, intimate contact with the reality of a location
and, who knows, some visitors may decide to stay permanently.

www.regione.molise.it/

Contact: Isabella Quercia, quercia at grapho.cx, tel. +39-(0)6-69202304