Hi, my name is Carlotta (54). I live in the countryside 7 kilometres far from Tivoli and about 30 kilometres from Rome, in Italy. I share my life with Marco (60) and three dogs. Our home is a small country cottage with its four thousand meters of land. My job is to keep in balance the wellness and caring of myself, with my man Marco, my house, my animals, my plants and my land.
Property Description
The property counts three parts, one is the house-courtyard-lawn-laboratory-patio and above and below, especially on slopes, there are olive groves and little paths among fruit trees, bushes, vegetable gardens and flowerbeds still in the making. Until 8 years ago when I bought, all the land was virtually abandoned and uncultivated. I, with great patience and like a good turtle (tartarughina), slowly try to fix everything, working for 90% by hand and alone.
By myself because we have very little money and cannot afford to pay aid, and by hand because the terrain is steep and unmanageable for tractors or the like.
Help exchange for room and board
I usually need help with heavy work, with cleaning up weeds in my flowerbeds, with gardening in general, in hoeing (or digging?) the earth, and in various specific jobs, such as building small dry terraces or building objects with wood. In particular, now I need a great deal of help to fence off the property to take out animals that do damage (like a nightmare last year we have been plagued by wild boars (pigs?) and hedgehogs). Our dogs will be able to run more, and hopefully, we will stop stumbling in some little cute bordering neighbours of land.
Activities
It is important helpers are ok to work hard with their hands, like hammering while standing on a stair, hand hoe the vegetable garden, planting trees or building dry stone walls. For example, I could ask the helper to:
- learn how to use a whisk to cut the iron nets;
- clean the small border stream from the wild vegetation;
- lift the bundles of wood and walk them to the olive grove (at the top of the property);
- use the shredder (four-stroke) to reduce the wood into small pieces for mulch;
- move the iron nets and put them in the right place (hammering while standing on a stair !);
- ECC….
If they are good at taking pictures that would help me at tracking the work progress!
Hours of help
In exchange for 25 hours of outside help per week, we offer a cute small semi-independent apartment (with weekly clean linen) and meals. We hope for helpers that are not too picky on food, our last helper was a bit too picky, with no vegetables, no fish, no this, no that … ufff.
We like helpers to help to fix and share breakfast, lunch and supper with us. If from time to time they can cook, it will be much appreciated but not mandatory.
On top of the 25 hours per week of outside help, I will need aid fixing meals and taking the house, the backyard and the lab tidy.
Languages spoken
Italian, English, (Marco speaks also French)
Accommodation
An internal staircase leads to a tiny loft on the third floor, with a bedroom and bathroom for our guests.
The guests, in addition to daily work, should help to prepare meals and clean after (breakfast, lunch and dinner). When it is possible we like to eat together chatting and listen to the news. Guest should help to keep clean and tidy everything around them, in the house and outside. No smoking nor food is allowed in the guest area. On Fridays, magic Eleonora comes to clean everywhere, and guests are kindly asked to leave the third floor in order so that it can be easily cleaned and the linen changed.
What else…
We are surrounded by nature, the train station in Guidonia is at about 6 km, there is a bus stop at about 2 km so you will need to walk (maybe we could find you a bicycle). The train takes you downtown in Rome in 45 minutes, but before that, you need the bus to take you to Guidonia train station or to Tivoli (in 15/20 minutes).
Cultural exchange
I am reasonably good at cooking, so you will be able to learn a bit about Italian food. There is a tiny village at about 2 km with a bus stop; a bar/pizzeria and a ‘Piazzetta’ where few people meet in the evening. Tivoli (that have two UNESCO sites, Villa d’Este and Villa Adriana) is at 7 km, Rome is at 30 km and the railway is at 6 km. Around us, you can have nice walks among fields of olive trees. We will be glad to teach you some Italian and you can borrow some of our Italian books.
Hours expected
5 hours a day, 5 days a week (the two free days will change weekly with little to any advance, according to the work to be done and usually to be the most rainy ones)
CONTACT DETAILS 🔍📧
hostname: Carlotta
carlottaassetta@tiscali.it
www.casalbirbetto.it
See more volunteering opportunities in Italy 
Voluntouring.org reminderQuick checks
Voluntouring promotes opportunities rooted in cultural exchange and mutual learning. Before you apply, check that the exchange is fair, realistic, and well supervised.
Local rules: visa conditions and requirements vary. Please check what applies to your destination before confirming an exchange. Learn more.
About this type of listing: Browse work exchange listings · Browse non-profit listings
Useful links: Report a listing or unsafe content
I am interested, not right now but in the future!
Experienced Carpenter of over 20 years, good cook… able bodied and not fussy with food. I’d love the opportunity to help you out and learn more of the Italian culture. I’m American/Italian and would love to return to Italy and spend a little time.
I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs. Clean and healthy
Thank you