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People around the 0️⃣ world dream of moving to Italy to experience the "Dolce Vita." However, for many, this dream remains unfulfilled due to 0️⃣ strict immigration rules.

Italy, like other countries, has specific regulations regarding who can and cannot relocate. Some foreigners can obtain Italian 0️⃣ passports through their ancestors, while others take advantage of the "elective residency" visa, which permits immigration as long as a 0️⃣ certain amount of passive income (around R$40,000 per year from investments or property) is available. It's important to note that 0️⃣ holders of this visa are prohibited from working.

For those wishing to move and work, the options are extremely limited, as 0️⃣ work visas in Italy are highly sought after and scarce.

However, those fortunate enough to secure such a visa can look 0️⃣ forward to a life-changing experience.

In November 2024, musicians Zeneba Bowers and Matt Walker left their jobs at the Nashville Symphony, 0️⃣ sold their Tennessee home, and moved to the village of Soriano nel Cimino, located 50 miles north of Rome, with 0️⃣ only their four cats and their instruments – a violin for Bowers and Walker's cello.

"We wanted a fresh start, a 0️⃣ place where we could enjoy more pleasure in life and quality time," says Walker. "Back home, we had a hectic 0️⃣ work schedule and wanted to quit our symphony jobs while we still enjoyed it."

The American lifestyle no longer suited them.

Abandoning the American Dream

In the United States, constant busyness is often seen as a virtue, 0️⃣ but having a packed schedule can be stressful. "Even though in the BR people say that family is important, nobody 0️⃣ can afford to take time off to be together," says Bowers.

The couple sought a new challenge and wanted to start 0️⃣ immediately.

"When we looked ahead at our future, it seemed possible that we might continue to repeat the same thing year 0️⃣ after year. We loved playing orchestral music, but we wanted to leave when we were at the top of our 0️⃣ game, not after we entered retirement," says Bowers.

They had already established a second career, self-publishing guidebooks about Italy and Ireland. 0️⃣ Now, it was time to take the leap.

The couple quickly bid farewell to the American dream.

They had little time to 0️⃣ plan their move across the Atlantic. They had to act fast and secure an Italian work visa as self-employed artists, 0️⃣ which they say is rarely granted.

In September 2024, they hired an immigration lawyer and applied for the visa at the 0️⃣ Italian consulate in Detroit on September 17.

Two weeks later, they received their "lavoro autonomo" (self-employed) visas – traditionally considered difficult 0️⃣ to obtain. That year, Italy awarded around 3,000 such visas worldwide. Today, that number has dropped to approximately 500.

"We believe 0️⃣ the reason we were successful was because we both had strong credentials in addition to our positions in the orchestra, 0️⃣ including running our own chamber ensemble and being Grammy-nominated performers and producers," says Walker.

"We had a long list of big-name 0️⃣ musicians that we had performed and recorded with over the years, extensive experience performing and producing concerts, and significant public 0️⃣ and press acknowledgement of the same. We feel very lucky."

Having a specialist lawyer handle the application also helped, they believe.

Those 0️⃣ fortunate enough to obtain a self-employed visa must relocate within three months or lose it.

"We had to quit our jobs, 0️⃣ sell everything we owned, sell our house, and prepare four cats for international transfer to leave on November 19," says 0️⃣ Bowers.

The couple chose Soriano nel Cimino, surrounded by forests of chestnut trees and porcini mushrooms, after visiting the area in 0️⃣ February 2024, during one of their many Italy trips.

Located in the Tuscia area once inhabited by the ancient Etruscans and 0️⃣ filled with catacombs, the village is situated halfway between Rome and Viterbo. On weekends, it attracts Roman day-trippers, hikers, wild 0️⃣ boar and mushroom hunters. The couple immediately fell in love with the tranquility and simple life.

In April 2024, they had 0️⃣ already purchased a small, 500 square foot apartment for 26,000 euros (R$28,000). A short distance from the town's piazza, it 0️⃣ has a terrace – where the couple would play music for fellow residents during the pandemic lockdowns. The view of 0️⃣ the town's medieval Orsini castle from this terrace initially caught their attention.

Minor upgrades, such as knocking down a wall to 0️⃣ create an open plan space, installing a gas line, and adding a pellet stove for winter heating, cost an additional 0️⃣ 17,000 euros (R$18,000). They also had to furnish the apartment.

Although the couple were completely out of their comfort zone when 0️⃣ they arrived in Soriano nel Cimino, Bowers and Walker say they now feel more comfortable than ever before.

"Here in Italy, 0️⃣ we lead a better lifestyle with a higher quality of life, better mental and physical health, a new outlet for 0️⃣ our artistry and creativity. We're happier and feel better. And it's also much, much cheaper compared to the States," says 0️⃣ Walker.

Moving from Nashville (population 1.3 million) to a quiet village of barely 7,000 locals presented numerous challenges.

Establishing a new life 0️⃣ involved managing two businesses (music and travel planning) during and after a pandemic, as well as dealing with the uncertainty 0️⃣ and stress of meeting their obligations as immigrant workers, who must regularly provide proof of income to Italian authorities to 0️⃣ maintain their work permits, which must be renewed every two years.

Three months after their arrival, the pandemic hit Italy, and 0️⃣ their income came to a halt. To pass the time during lockdown, they played their instruments for the villagers from 0️⃣ their balcony.

The couple has since fully embraced their new life. They have formed a musical quartet with a local soprano, 0️⃣ performing at village festivals, chestnut food fairs, and weddings throughout Italy.

The couple has also started a new business, organizing itineraries 0️⃣ for visitors eager to discover Italy's rural beauty. They have written a memoir about their Italian adventure called "I Can't 0️⃣ Believe We Live Here."

"There are no other BR expats here, which is another reason why we love Soriano nel Cimino. 0️⃣ We have great neighbors, and the villagers are very friendly," says Bowers. "During the lockdown, the elders would bring us 0️⃣ fresh veggies from their plots, eggs, and homemade wine."

The couple plans to eventually apply for Italian citizenship when they retire, 0️⃣ believing they will have lived in Italy long enough to be eligible. Non-EU citizens must reside in the country for 0️⃣ a decade before they can apply.

For now, the future looks promising.

"Everything we own is in this country, we spend our 0️⃣ money and earn our income here. It's our home now," says Bowers.