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“Are you tired of global politics? Are you pursuing a more balanced lifestyle while still securing new opportunities? It’s time to start building your haven in Europe, in the beautiful paradise of Sardinia,” reads a website advertising houses for sale in the village of Ollolai on the Italian island of Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean.
While Donald Trump's election results have elicited mixed reactions around the world, a small village on the island of Sardinia, Italy, has seen a promising opportunity. Ollolai, like many other rural areas in Italy, is trying to attract outsiders to settle in order to combat its long-standing population decline. They have launched a program selling abandoned houses for just 1 euro, aiming to increase the appeal of this offer, according to CNN.
The village is implementing a program to attract new residents and prevent population decline.
"Of course, we can't specifically name a newly elected US president, but there are Americans who want to emigrate after this event. We created this website specifically now to meet the post-election emigration needs of Americans," said Ollolai Mayor Francesco Columbo.
He went on to describe the different options available to individuals interested in the village. Houses in ready-to-move-in condition were priced at up to 100,000 euros, while those needing renovation were sold for 1 euro. "Americans are usually very quick. We are betting on them to help us revitalize the village; they are our winning hand," he emphasized.
Ollolai's population has declined in recent decades.
Columbu said the village currently offers three types of accommodation: free temporary housing for some digital nomads (remote workers), €1 houses needing renovation, and ready-to-live-in homes priced up to €100,000 (approximately $105,000). In 2018, the town hall began selling abandoned houses for €1. They later went on to rent out vacant workspaces for a symbolic €1.
Mayor Francesco Columbu told CNN that the website was created to engage Americans following the presidential election results.
Starting in 2022, they launched a “work from Ollolai” program for digital nomads. To date, four Americans have been welcomed into fully furnished homes for a symbolic price of 1 euro. In return, they must create something for the community, such as a work of art or a book. However, the revival plan has not gone as well as the local authorities had hoped. Since 2018, only 10 homes have been sold for 1 euro and renovated.
Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean. Nestled amidst pristine nature, surrounded by exquisite cuisine and immersed in a community with long-standing traditions, in one of Earth's rare Green Zones, Ollolai is the perfect destination to reconnect, recharge, and embrace a new way of life,” the website describes the village.
