Architect, Spoleto, Umbria, Italy

Your architect in Umbria, technical care for a house you own from abroad

I am an Italian architect based in the Spoleto area, in the heart of Umbria. I help buyers and owners from the United States and the United Kingdom understand, verify, permit and renovate property in Italy, while you stay where you are, with one trusted professional on the ground.

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See services and fees

On the ground in Umbria

Site visits, measurements and authority checks done in person, not by guesswork from photographs.

Everything in English

Reports, calls and drawings in English. Italian only where a public authority requires it.

Fixed fees, no commissions

I am not an estate agent. I take no fee from sellers, agencies or builders, so the report stays yours.

45 minutes from the airport

Perugia-Assisi international airport (PEG) has direct UK connections, so a property visit can be a day trip.

What I do

Six services, all built around the same problem: making a sound decision about an Italian property from thousands of kilometres away.

01

Technical due diligence before purchase

I verify what the seller’s documents actually say and what the building actually is: planning status, differences between approved and cadastral drawings, unauthorised works, structural red flags, conservation restrictions and seismic requirements. You receive a written report with photographs and a prioritised list of risks and costs.

02

Document and title check

Before you commit, I read the paperwork: cadastral records, previous permits, habitability, easements, restrictions and outstanding obligations. It is the cheapest way to avoid buying somebody else’s problem.

03

Energy audit and APE

I assess the real energy performance of the building, tell you which improvements pay back and which do not, and prepare the Italian energy certificate (APE) with a qualified technician.

04

Laser scanning and BIM survey

Laser scanning and photogrammetry produce accurate 2D drawings and a 3D BIM model of the building. Instead of trusting old plans, you get a measured digital twin, ready for renovation design, quantities and permit applications.

05

Permits and compliance

CILA, SCIA or Permesso di Costruire: I identify the correct procedure, prepare the application, deal with the Comune and the Soprintendenza, and keep the project inside the rules.

06

Renovation and remote supervision

Design, tender, cost control and site supervision. You get regular photographic and written updates, so distance never turns into loss of control.

How it works

  1. A free 15-minute call

    You describe the property and the doubt. I tell you honestly whether you need a survey, a document check, or nothing at all.

  2. A fixed-fee written quote

    Before any work starts you receive a written scope with what is included, what is excluded and the fee. No hourly surprises.

  3. Inspection and verification

    I visit the property, measure it, photograph it and check every document against the reality of the building and the local planning office.

  4. A report you can act on

    Plain English, photographs, references to the applicable rules, and a prioritised list of what to fix, what to verify and what it is likely to cost.

Why work with me

My practice combines architecture with genuine technical depth: parametric design in Revit, mechanical and parametric 3D modelling in Solid Edge, and precision survey work with laser scanning and photogrammetry. That mix means your building is measured, modelled and documented properly, not sketched on the back of an envelope.

It also means you are dealing with one person from the first question to the final handover. No call centre, no rotating account managers, no one who has never set foot in the building.

I also maintain a technical archive of articles on Italian property law, permits, energy performance and renovation, so my clients start from knowledge rather than guesswork.

Where I am, and how far away that is

Spoleto sits in southern Umbria, roughly halfway between Rome and Florence and about 45 minutes from Perugia-Assisi “San Francesco d’Assisi” international airport (PEG), which is served by direct UK routes including London Stansted. Combined with Rome Fiumicino and Florence, it is realistic to fly in for a property visit and be home the same evening.

Umbria is also where most of my work happens: stone farmhouses, rural casali, historic town-centre apartments and land with development potential. Regional rules, landscape protection and the Soprintendenza all matter here, and knowing them locally saves months.

Questions I am asked most often

Can I really buy in Italy without travelling?

Yes, for part of the process, but not for all of it. Purchase, powers of attorney and most administrative steps can be handled remotely with the right mandates. What cannot be done remotely is judging a building: levels of damp, roof condition, structural movement or the quality of a previous renovation. That is exactly the part I do for you on site.

Who protects my interests, the notary or the estate agent?

Neither, in the way you may expect. In Italy the notary is a public officer acting impartially, and the estate agent is normally paid by the seller. Neither will tell you that a wall is moving or that an extension has no permit. Technical protection is a separate job, and that is the job I do.

What does a technical check cost?

It depends on the size of the property, how far it is and how deep the check needs to go. You always receive a fixed written quote first, and for a straightforward document check the cost is usually a small fraction of the price of the property. Prices start at FAKE-PRICE-DOCUMENT-CHECK for a document review and FAKE-PRICE-SURVEY for a full on-site survey.

Do you work only in Umbria?

Umbria, Tuscany and Lazio are my normal working area. For larger projects elsewhere in Italy I can mobilise, and for preliminary document checks distance is rarely an obstacle.

Latest technical notes

Plain answers to the technical questions foreign owners and buyers ask me every week.

All technical notes


Need a technical opinion before you buy or restore?

One call, no obligation. Tell me the address and what worries you, and I will tell you what can be verified and what it costs.

Request a free 15-minute call