“Are you tired of global politics? Are you looking for a more balanced lifestyle while ensuring new opportunities? It’s time to start building your escape in Europe, in the beautiful paradise of Sardinia,” reads the website advertising homes for the village of Ollolai on the Italian island of Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean.
While Donald Trump's election has sparked mixed reactions around the world, one small village on the Italian island of Sardinia sees a bright opportunity. Ollolai, like many other rural areas in Italy, is trying to attract outsiders to settle in a country that has been experiencing a long-term population decline. They've launched a program to sell abandoned houses for just 1 euro to make the offer more appealing, according to CNN.
Village launches program to attract newcomers and stem population decline
"Of course, we cannot specifically mention the name of a newly elected US president, but there are Americans who want to emigrate after this event. We have specially created this website now to meet the post-election migration needs of Americans," said Ollolai Mayor Francesco Columbo.
He went on to describe the different options available to interested parties. Ready-to-move-in homes cost up to 100,000 euros, while those in need of renovation are sold for 1 euro. “Americans are usually very quick. We are betting on them to help us revive the village, they are our winning card,” he stressed.
Ollolai's population has declined over the past decades.
Columbu says the village currently offers three types of accommodation: Free temporary homes for some digital nomads (remote workers), 1 euro homes in need of renovation, and ready-to-live homes that cost up to 100,000 euros (about $105,000). In 2018, the town hall began selling abandoned homes for 1 euro. It then went on to rent out vacant workspaces for the symbolic price of 1 euro.
Mayor Francesco Columbu told CNN that the website was created to engage Americans in the wake of the presidential election results.
Starting in 2022, they launched a “work from Ollolai” program for digital nomads. So far, four Americans have been hosted in fully furnished homes for a nominal fee of 1 euro. In return, they have to create something for the community, like a piece of art or a book. However, the revival plan has not gone as well as the local government hoped. Since 2018, only 10 homes have been sold for 1 euro and renovated.
Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean. Set amidst pristine nature, surrounded by great cuisine and immersed in a community steeped in tradition, in one of Earth's rare Blue Zones, Ollolai is the perfect destination to reconnect, recharge and embrace a new way of life,” the village's website describes.
