I am trying to apply for an elective residency visa for Italy. My visit to the Italian consulate yesterday was encouraging – almost all of my paperwork is in order – but one item stopped me short: The clerk said I needed proof of address in Italy for the entire year I'm applying for.
(I have already booked an apartment for the first month of my stay and had planned to find longer-term accommodation once I arrived in-country.)
Adding to my trouble, the clerk said that even if I had a rental contract in hand for a private apartment, I would also need to provide a notarized, original copy (in other words, not faxed or emailed) of the property title to prove that the landlord actually owned the place they were renting me.
What's the easiest and quickest way to find long-term accommodation in Italy while I'm in the US? Does anyone know of a long-stay hotel or executive residence (anywhere) in Italy that could send me a contract to fulfill this paperwork requirement? (I believe I won't need the notarized title of a commercial residence as long as I receive the lease on their letterhead.)