Remote Work, Medieval Magic: My Slow Living Escape at Dolce Vita Coliving in Italy

What It’s Really Like to Work Remotely in a Medieval Village in Italy

My Slow Living Journey at Dolce Vita Coliving

📍 Vallo di Nera, Umbria – where the Wi-Fi is fast, the pace is slow, and the views are nothing short of magical.

Stepping Into the Past to Reclaim My Present

If you had told me a year ago I’d be answering emails from a centuries-old stone terrace overlooking the Nera River Valley, I’d have laughed while scrolling through noisy Slack notifications in my tiny city flat.

But after three years of city burnout—office stress turned Zoom fatigue, endless screen time, and Uber Eats dinners—I craved a genuine change. I found it in Vallo di Nera, a beautifully preserved medieval village in Umbria, Italy, through Dolce Vita Coliving.

I didn’t just find a coworking space. I found a lifestyle, a rhythm, and a community that redefined what it means to work remotely.

The Magic of a "Village-Wide" Coliving

Unlike the typical coliving setups I’d seen in major European cities—modern buildings turned into shared flats—Dolce Vita Coliving is a living, breathing village. 🏰

Yes, an actual village. Not just a house with a coworking room—but multiple lovingly restored homes, coworking spaces tucked behind ancient church walls, and piazzas where laptops open under cypress trees.

Here’s what you can expect:

- Your own stone house with rustic charm and every modern comfort (reliable Wi-Fi, comfy beds, yes, even heating!)

- Coworking rooms in historical buildings, with panoramic countryside views that make Zoom calls feel cinematic

- Community dinners with locals, where you might eat truffle pasta hand-rolled that afternoon or sip wine made just down the road. 🍷

- A true village community, not just other nomads, but real residents—farmers, artists, shopkeepers—who greet you by name

If home is where the heart is, then Dolce Vita is where your heart finds space to breathe.

A Day in the Life: Morning Cicadas, Afternoon Espresso, Sunset Projects

My days here feel grounded yet productive. Mornings start with a coffee from Bar da Sara, where Marco hands me a cornetto with a smile. I walk up cobbled roads strewn with wildflowers to the stone coworking hub. I work under vaulted ceilings, birdsong outside, reliable internet flowing—surprisingly fast for a cliffside town first settled in the 1100s.

Midday brings a shared lunch with fellow remote creatives and locals—sometimes a pasta workshop, sometimes spontaneous garden picnics with pecorino from next door.

Afterwork hours? Hike to the waterfalls near Piedipaterno, dip in the river, or sip prosecco on the terrace as the sun sets behind the rolling Valnerina hills.

Weekends? You're spoilt for choice.

Must-Do Local Experiences (Because Work-Life Balance Is Real Here)

Living here means more than working elsewhere. It’s about becoming part of Umbria’s rhythm. Here are a few immersive experiences not to miss:

🍝 Homemade Pasta Night  

Join Maria, a local nonna, who’ll teach you how to make Umbria’s beloved strangozzi with truffle sauce. Tip: try this in Spring, when truffles are freshest.

🥾 Hiking to the Cascate delle Marmore  

One of Europe’s tallest and most beautiful waterfalls is only a 40-minute drive. Go in Fall for cooler trails and rich colors.

🎶 The Festival of the Two Worlds in Spoleto (June)  

This music and arts festival takes place in the elegant town of Spoleto, just 15 minutes from Dolce Vita Coliving —guess who’s on that list? Yup, we are.

🍷 Wine tasting in Montefalco  

Just 30 minutes away—taste the region’s famous Sagrantino wines surrounded by rolling vineyards.

📸 Seasonal Highlights  

- Spring (March – May): Wildflowers, hillside hikes, food festivals  

- Summer (June – August): River swims, open-air cinema, village sagre (feasts!)  

- Fall (September – November): Truffle hunting, wine harvest, golden countryside  

- Winter (December – February): Cozy fireplaces, local olive oil tastings, fewer crowds

Pro Tips for Remote Work Success in Our Village

Let me leave you with a few practical tips that helped me really settle in:

1. Pack for comfort, not style. Cobblestones love sneakers. And village life doesn’t require a blazer.

2. Plan for rhythm, not rush. Embrace “il dolce far niente”—the sweetness of doing nothing in between your sprints of focus.

3. Coworking Wi-Fi is great. Speeds are 100+ Mbps, stable, and the coworking space is inspiring.

4. Don’t overschedule. Leave space for spontaneity—be it a goat cheese tasting or a random countryside drive with new friends.

5. Stay longer if you can. The real magic unfolds after the second week, when the villagers start welcoming you by name.

Why Dolce Vita Feels Like Coming Home

Before Dolce Vita, work and life felt separate—constantly in competition. Here, they’ve become one beautiful, balanced whole. I’ve never known another place where I could finish my client presentation, stroll through misty forests, and end the day with homemade tiramisù, all within a 1-kilometer radius.

Whether you’re a traveler craving purpose, a creative needing inspiration, or simply a remote worker tired of Zoom calls with no soul—this place changes you.

Come Find Your Work-Life Reset in Italy

Dolce Vita Coliving is more than a place to stay—it’s an invitation to live differently.

Come explore Vallo di Nera and Piedipaterno. Work from ancient rooms. Share meals that last hours. Swim in crystal rivers. Laugh at sunset with new friends. Feel more connected to your work and the world around you.

You don’t just visit here.  
You belong here.

Ready to experience the real life behind the Instagram dream? Join us at Dolce Vita Coliving—where remote work meets Renaissance rhythm.

Ci vediamo presto in Umbria.