The Hunt
It Was ‘Love at First Sight’ in the Heart of Rome. But for Which Apartment?
A recently married couple moved to the Italian capital in search of a two-bedroom with a terrace in a central neighborhood. What would their $950,000 budget afford?
Douglas Ritter long envisioned retiring in Rome with his wife, Nancy. Born in New York City, then raised mostly in the Italian capital thanks to his father’s career, he eventually made his own career as a marketing executive in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
His life was set on a new course when Nancy died in 2017, leaving Mr. Ritter, then age 64, at a crossroads. The following year he moved to Bassano del Grappa, a small city at the foothills of Italy’s Dolomite Mountains. At that point, he said, “I planned to bicycle my life away in retirement.”
But his story took another turn in 2019 when a local friend introduced him to Rosaria Silvano, who was then 60 years old and living in Milan.
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“It was colpo di fulmine,” said Mr. Ritter, using the Italian expression for “love at first sight,” but which literally translates to “lightning strike.” The two dated long distance for a few months, and in March 2020 he proposed. That night, Italy went into pandemic lockdown and the couple were separated for the next six months. When the restrictions were lifted, they were married in a small civil ceremony and moved into a one-bedroom that Mr. Ritter had bought in Milan.
The place was too small for the both of them, and the couple wanted a big-city lifestyle, so they agreed on Rome. They bought an 800-square-foot flat there, but it was also a bit tight, especially when hosting guests, including Ms. Silvano’s 43-year-old daughter.
After looking at dozens of apartments in neighborhoods close to the city center, the couple homed in on Trastevere, Rome’s ancient working-class neighborhood, now a popular spot for newcomers and tourists.
“We saw every two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that came on the market for a year,” Mr. Ritter said.
With a budget of up to $950,000, they were looking for “an apartment already restored, with a terrace and two bathrooms,” Ms. Silvano said. And they hoped to be near the cycling path along the Tiber River.
Among their options:
No. 1
Brand New in the Heart of Trastevere
New construction in this historic neighborhood is rare, so when a two-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor of this new building became available, the couple raced to see it. The €920,000 ($985,000) asking price was above their budget, but it was move-in ready and about two blocks from the Tiber. The open living room/kitchen was spacious, though “like most new construction in Rome, was rather cookie cutter,” Mr. Ritter said. And the bedrooms were on the small side. Homeowner association fees were €200 ($215) a month.
No. 2
Dated Two-Bedroom With Character
This sunny two-bedroom, on the fifth floor of a six-story building from 1890, had been renovated in 1984 by the architect Fabrizio Bruno, who had opened up the floor plan and added Scandinavian design wood finishings, many in a lattice motif on doors and cabinets. There was a roof terrace but no private outdoor space, and only one bathroom. But it was in the center of Trastevere, close to the Tiber River and right on Piazza San Cosimato, a lively square full of shops and food. The asking price was €750,000 ($802,000), but Mr. Ritter figured that the renovations in a century-old building would add over $100,000. Condo fees were €1,000 ($1,080) a year.
No. 3
Two-Bedroom in a Palazzo
This two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,292-square-foot flat was in a six-story, turn-of-the century palazzo on Viale di Trastevere. Ms. Silvano liked its exposures on two sides and its view of the Ministry of Education building, an ornate 19th-century building. It had two large common rooms, though she felt that the floor plan was restricted and they would have to renovate to open up space. The kitchen was also dated. There was no terrace, but the location was great — three blocks from the river. The price was €690,000 ($738,000), plus €1,500 ($1,600) a year in condo fees.
Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:
Which Would You Choose?
Brand New in the Heart of Trastevere
Dated Two-Bedroom With Character
Two-Bedroom in a Palazzo
Which Did They Buy?
Brand New in the Heart of Trastevere
Dated Two-Bedroom With Character
Two-Bedroom in a Palazzo