Sarah says a grasp of the language isn’t essential when buying property. “But you have to know someone who can interpret and translate for you. Most geometres [who deal with conveyancing] know an English-speaker who can help, but make sure you enlist someone recommended. “There’s no snobbishness about the language, and sign-language is universal so you’ll always be able to get simple messages across. We didn’t use a translator. Luckily, when we bought our house, the seller spoke a bit of English, everyone was helpful and our contracts were straightforward.

“We now help house-buyers in our area. I think many wouldn’t have bought if they hadn’t had help from English-speakers. It’s understandable; house-buying’s a scary business in any language. “We didn’t speak Italian to begin with, but after five years we can communicate pretty well.”

Tuscany has a strong regional identity with a calendar filled year-round with festivals and colourful cultural events, many with a gastronomic theme. Food is a serious subject: families spend hours lingering over lunch and Italians are justifiably proud of internationally famous wines such as Chianti and Montepulciano.

“We definitely feel like we belong here,” says Sarah. “We have Italian friends and do all the normal Italian things: sleep in the afternoons, eat big lunches, drive like maniacs. Every month, there’s something going on. At carnival time, the whole family dresses up to see the floats, enjoy the music and catch the sweets thrown to the children – it’s great! It’s a very large region, with plenty of space for foreigners and Italians to co-exist happily. The lifestyle is stubbornly Mediterranean – shops close for long lunches and stay open into the evening, and the most important daily event is lunch.

“Italy is a safe place to raise a family, the healthcare is excellent, the people welcoming, the climate is good, the views are fabulous and the food is exceptional. It’s a busy, interesting place to live and work, and there’s nowhere we’d prefer to be at this stage in our lives. When you move here, you’re a long way from the support network of family and friends in Britain, and that can strain relationships, especially with a young family. But I’d invest my last penny in Italy – I’m very proud of my new home.”