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Very hard to tell without seeing the tree. Does it show any white spots where the bark was lost or are there any yellow leaves around the affected area? One of the causes for loosing the bark could be inconsistent watering, but you have done this on a regular basis. So it is a bit of a mystery.  

 I agree with the others. Have a look at what Ikea and Mondo Convenienza have to offer. If you are in the southern part of Tuscany, Mondo Convenienza in Prato (Ovest exit) will be closer for you than the Pisa warehouse. Very easy to find, you can see their blue building from the highway. You can have a look at their catalogue on-line at the address given by Jinty. We have purchased a couple of pieces of furniture from them and they give good value for money.In our case, we had to have our kitchen made-to-measure by a local cabinetmaker because of the uneven walls, low windows, etc.; however, for all the work that he had to do the final price was very fair.

 Welcome to ½ûÂþÌìÌà bureaucracy! What you said, Getset, would have been the ideal form of dealing with these matters, 

 I was about to post the same request that Cassini has made. It is easier to keep control of your PMs.

 Thank you for letting us know, Tuesdaysue. It is understandable that Richard's family will be still under shock as I think we all are. I remember that a few hours after the earthquake I sent him a message to see whether he was fine and he gave me a poignant description of what the earthquake was all about. He compared it to being on a ship at sea in the middle of a storm. He was also concerned about the dogs as they were pretty scared.I do hope his dream about the museum will become a reality.

 This could also help as it contains a listing for "sagre e feste" in Lunigiana. Also lots of information about the area.

Another factor that you should take into account is how much it is going to cost you to restore the ruin. And you will need accurate estimates to ascertain whether the restored farmhouse is going to become a white elephant because of the amount of money the restoration will end up costing. 

Hi Michelangelo and welcome. 

 Hi Fabbriche and good to see you joining now the Community. Your house is looking great. You should join our Northern Tuscany Group. Quite a few neighbours there.

We have also been with the Monte Paschi di Siena Group through our local Banca Toscana for the past 2 1/2 years and we are very happy with them. If we have any problems with a payment, we call them from overseas and they fix it. We also use their online services.