I stayed in Tertulia for 6 amazing weeks.

I just read the bad reviews and I am appalled. I can get that an old farm isn’t everyone’s ideal setting, but what is described is oh SO far from my experience, which was SO AMAZING! But the one that really makes me absolutely furious is the one star review from a guy who didn’t even come to Tertullia in the first place. He just concludes that it’s bad based on reading reviews and hearing comments… How dare you leave a bad review of a place you didn’t even visit????

So, since people giving bad reviews seemed to be all about giving future co-living a fair view, here is my fair view based on their comments. Because damn, if I had read those reviews and decided not to come because of it, what an amazing slice of my life I would have missed!!

So:
It’s an old looking place, where not everything is perfect : yes, absolutely. It’s also a place with the most amazing gigantic fireplace in the kitchen, making you live moments of ancient time few people ever get to experience nowadays. The yoga/event room is not only beautifully ancient yet practical, it also has an incredible long form stove that takes a few hours to heat, and that transforms a bench made of clay into a “sauna bench”. I experienced some of the most magical moments of my year in that barn, following workshops lead by a friend of the co-living space.
Making a very old building thrive is honestly darn difficult, and Francesco is doing all he can and is doing a great job in my opinion.

I did not experience any bad odor or bad plumbing, or anything of the kind during my stay. One time the handle of my otherwise perfectly working shower broke, and Francesco went and bought a replacement and fixed it in a couple of hours. Yes, this place is remote, but so most of the other co-livings I have been to, and there was always enough cars around to organise shopping. I never had to pay for transportation.

Yes, there wasn’t a volunteer. All the 4 other co-livings I have been to were functioning with different settings, and this is just another different setting. Francesco gave us ideas of things to do every time we asked, it really wasn’t hard to get the info.

I had zero problems of dirty water in the sink for the 6 weeks I was there. I was just surrounded with great people. Maybe previous co-livers were unlucky with their group. It only takes one bad player to turn everything to hell sometimes… But please don’t blame it on the owner! Because some co-livings are so thoroughly organise doesn’t mean we should all turn into children who can’t think and get organised by ourself! Co-livings are not nurseries!

You also should remind yourself that most co-living owners have another job on the side. Because having a co-living isn’t the most lucrative thing in the world to do. Francesco also happens to be a farmer: one of the most demanding of jobs in terms of time there ever was, and also one of the least paid job. If you’re in Europe as I write this, you must have heard of the crisis surrounding the survival of farmers. You know how tough it is for them. So to say that all Francesco cares about is collecting the money, after all he does for almost nothing! That is such a huge misunderstanding of the truth. The truth is: it is really darn hard to make ends meet having to take care of a farm and a co-living, and Francesco is giving it all he has, because he loves it. He loves the sense of community, and having a purpose, and believing that what he does makes the world a better place.

He is an extremely kind hearted man, and him, his family and the place easily deserve the 5 stars I can give them. I loved the other co-living I went to. But this was my best experience, for all the uniqueness it could bring, and it will be the first co-living I will go back to, if I decide to go somewhere a second time.

Oh, and did I mention the most amazing landscape and sunsets ever?…