English Among the many stories you’ve shared with us, we’ve come to realize that if there’s one word that captures the spirit needed to move to Italy, it might just be recklessness. At least, that’s how it started for Winnifred Rosser (Cozijn). What started as an impulsive stop on a honeymoon road trip turned into a life choice, a desire to finally put down roots in Italy. Today, she and her husband live in Polinago (MO), a small village in Emilia-Romagna, where they’ve spent the past 14 years.
Falling in Love with Italy: The Beginning of Winnifred’s Journey
Winnifred’s love affair with Italy started unexpectedly in 1972, during a birthday trip to Rome. At the time, Winnifred was living in London, which she remembers as bleak and dreary. “There was a miners’ strike, it was dark and damp, and you could only shower or take a bath every second or third day” she explains. Rome, by contrast, offered warmth, color, and a palpable joy for life. That’s when she decided she wasn’t coming back, so she wrote to her friends asking them to pack up her things and send them to an address in Rome. What was meant to be an eight-day vacation turned into a seven-month stay.
“I can clearly remember writing to my mother back then, saying, My heart has come home”
After a short return to Australia for health reasons, Winnifred came back to Italy as an au pair, living in Rome for another two or three years. Eventually, she returned to Australia again, this time with an Italian fiancé. But with limited career options for him back in Italy, the couple had a decision to make. “He left it up to me whether we should go back to Australia together” she explains, “So I chose love over career”.
Although she lived in Australia and Hong Kong in the years that followed, Italy remained her dream. Finally, in 2011, she and her second husband, David Malloch, decided it was time. They shipped their belongings, brought their dog, and started over in Polinago.
Choosing Polinago: The Magic of a Small Village in Emilia-Romagna
Polinago was never part of the plan. During their honeymoon road trip through Northern Italy and France, they randomly stopped in a small mountain village near the Apennines. It had just snowed. David was enchanted and suggested they look for property in the area, something with snow, something different from Australia.
They started viewing homes around Emilia-Romagna and northern Tuscany, but the very first one they visited, just outside Polinago, immediately stole their hearts: a rustic farmhouse with six hectares of land, panoramic views, and even a castle in sight. It felt right. So, they canceled the rest of the trip, made an offer, and signed the contract within days.
By June 2011, they had packed up their lives, sold their belongings, and moved to a village where no one spoke English. Winnifred’s knowledge of Italian helped, but David leaned heavily on Google Translate in the beginning.
Unfortunately, their relocation wasn’t easy. The property came with unexpected challenges: delays, steep renovation costs, and even wartime explosives buried on-site that had to be removed by authorities. Legal issues and rising expenses stretched the project across two years and cost them over €230,000. Eventually, they realized this house wasn’t going to be their home, but instead of giving up they shifted their focus and began exploring other options in the area.
“Our move to Italy wasn’t easy. We’d never been to this area before, but we stayed positive and focused on the beauty around us: the lush green hills, wildflowers, and the quiet charm of the place.“
Running a B&B in Polinago, Emilia-Romagna
While navigating property challenges, the couple rented a small B&B in Polinago. A local accountant suggested they try running a B&B, so they decided to give it a go.
That tentative beginning quickly turned into a meaningful venture. In 2012, they launched a website to promote not just their B&B, but also the Emilia-Romagna region itself. Their message was simple: discover the real Italy, off the tourist track, immersed in nature, food, and authentic village life. Since then, they’ve welcomed more than 700 Australian guests.
A major turning point came when Winnifred contacted a journalist at an Australian newspaper. The paper had only been covering Italy’s most famous destinations, so she suggested they consider including Polinago.
“About a month later, we received an email from someone who had seen our listing in the paper. The journalist had personally mentioned us, bringing other tourists who were curious about the area.”
So that’s how everything started. “We never relied on paid advertising. Our website and social media did the work” Winnifred explains. She began submitting articles to travel magazines aimed at older audiences, further promoting their guesthouse and the unique attractions of the Emilia-Romagna region.
A Personal Approach to Hospitality
For Winnifred, the B&B has always been about more than income:
“If you want to make a lot of money, this isn’t the path. But if you want to connect with people, share what you love, and live a meaningful life, it’s incredibly rewarding.”
Most of their visitors are couples or small groups, never more than six people at a time. This allows them to focus on a deeply personal style of hospitality: “We don’t just offer a bed and breakfast. We offer an experience, tailored to each guest’s interests” she explains.
Rather than conventional tours, Winnifred and David take guests on informal “excursions” to places most visitors would never find: “It’s not like a guided tour; it’s about showing people the places we genuinely love.”
In 2018, they expanded by buying a larger property nearby. The renovation was extensive, they had to add kitchens, bathrooms, and new infrastructure, but they finished just in time for summer season. The new guesthouse was registered as an affittacamere (licensed guesthouse), which brought with it new responsibilities, including navigating the complexities of Italian regulations and taxes, but also different regulations in terms of guest services.
Living in Polinago
What Winnifred and David love most about Polinago is their bond with the local community. Over time, they built deep connections by offering help without expecting anything in return. Whether it was assisting locals with tasks or taking photos for them before smartphones, their approach built lasting relationships: “Everyone knows you here, and it’s such a warm feeling. I go to the market every Sunday, it’s a small one, just fruits and vegetables, but when I walk through, everyone greets me. It’s wonderful to feel like you belong.”
Compared to Australia, the countryside here feels less isolated.
“It’s peaceful, but we’re still close to larger towns like Modena, Sassuolo, and Lucca, so we never feel isolated. In Australia, distances are vast and you can feel very alone. Here, we’re always near what we need.“
Though Italy has its challenges, such as bureaucracy and sometimes frustrating delays, the connection they feel for Polinago is something deeper:
“The reason we love it here is that we chose it. I’ve always wanted to live in Italy, and it feels like home no matter where we are. Italy has a soul, and that soul comes from the people. Yes, there are frustrations, but the country is evolving in beautiful ways.”
She especially appreciates the simplicity and lack of materialism.
“You notice it in the little things. For example, I was struck by how simple the celebrations were when I first spent Christmas here. Kids might get a small book or some sweets, but the focus isn’t on material gifts. It’s about family and sharing a meal together. That simplicity is refreshing.“
Winnifred is also moved by the genuine care people show for those with mental or physical challenges. “In Italy, people take the time to look after one another, treating those who might be struggling as family. You feel it in the streets: a kindness, a warmth that you often don’t find in bigger cities like those in Australia. In large cities, the focus on people can get lost in the hustle and bustle, but here in small towns, compassion thrives.”
Her Italian has improved over the years, making it easier to connect with the locals. “I’m sure I make mistakes, but as long as we’re communicating, it doesn’t matter. They understand me, and I understand them. If they use a word I don’t know, I ask what it means, and we talk about it.“
Healthcare and Cost of Living in Polinago
Winnifred found Italy’s healthcare system in Emilia-Romagna to be a positive shift from the private system she knew in Australia.
Despite living in a small town, she has access to hospitals just 20 to 40 minutes away by car, two doctors in town, a Guardia Medica (an on-call medical service outside regular hours), ambulance services, and even a helicopter ambulance for emergencies.
One of the biggest differences she noticed is the focus on prevention. In Australia, she explains, healthcare tends to be reactive, which means that people usually visit doctors only when they are already sick. In contrast, Italy has a proactive approach. For example, during a routine visit, her doctor asked her when she’d last had a blood test. She realized she had never had one, as she always felt fine. But the doctor insisted, because he wanted to make sure that everything was okay.
The cost of living in Polinago is also much more affordable compared to other countries, particularly Australia. While local shopping can sometimes be a bit more expensive, Winnifred values supporting local businesses. Utilities, including electricity and gas, are comparable to other countries, while eating out is way cheaper: “We recently had a meal for four at a local trattoria and paid €54, including wine”.
Housing is affordable, too. They once rented a large four-bedroom home for €500 a month. For anyone considering the move, she recommends living in Polinago and commuting, rather than paying high rents in Modena or Sassuolo.
Advice for Those Considering a Move to Polinago
Winnifred’s advice for anyone considering a move to Italy is really simple: be honest with yourself.
“You need to ask yourself why you’re moving. If it’s just to escape something or chase a dream without understanding the realities, you may struggle. Italy won’t change to suit you, you have to meet it where it is.”
Understanding bureaucracy, embracing cultural differences, and managing expectations are all essential parts of the journey. What ties you to a place isn’t just the place itself, but how you choose to live within it:
“If you approach life with the right attitude and an open heart, you can be incredibly happy here. It’s not about making a lot of money, if that’s your goal, Polinago is not for you. But if you’re seeking real human connection, that’s what you’ll find in Polinago. That’s what we fell in love with.“
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