Italy launches €1 home scheme to revive depopulated mountain villages

Ten municipalities north of the province of Vicenza have put dilapidated properties on sale for a symbolic price of €1 in an effort to revive mountain communities and curb population decline, according to Leggo.

The initiative is being carried out by the Union of Mountain Communities “Pasubio Piccole Dolomiti” under the “PNRR Green Communities” programme.

Although the application deadline closed on April 16, interest has been strong: 78 official proposals were submitted, including nine from abroad and five from foreign residents living in Italy.

Out of 385 buildings classified as unused, 24 properties have been put on the market. The president of the Union and mayor of Monte di Malo, Mosè Squarzon, described the project as “an investment in life, not money.”

“The main goal is to bring people back to places that were emptied in the pursuit of modernity and comfort,” he said.

The final list of buyers willing to invest in renovation work is expected to be published in early May.