Free houses in Italy: a publicity stunt or a dream that could come true?

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In a piece of paradise on earth, on the island of Sicily, handing out free houses for everyone - it sounds at least incredible! But in reality it is: in a small Sicilian town Gangi, about 100 km southeast of Palermo, empty homes can be purchased for as little as 1 euro!

Local authorities decided to resort to this strategy for a reason: at the beginning of the twentieth century. Sicilians left their homes en masse in pursuit of the "American Dream" - from 1892 to 1924. the city left about 1700 inhabitants. In the 1930-1940s. there was a new wave of emigration - to Argentina. In the twentieth century. Ganji became famous for the dominance of gangster groups, the city was a favorite place for mafiosi. In the 1950s, about 16,000 people lived here, but today there are only 7,000 left. As a result, the treasury was empty, and the region was on the brink of economic disaster. Therefore, the authorities decided to revive the economy in such an original way and breathe life into the uninhabited walls abandoned by the inhabitants many years ago.

Today on many sites you can see a sensational sounding announcement: "Free houses in Ganji!". The official press release said: “There are old houses in the city of Ganji, which will be provided free of charge to those who ask for help. Applications are accepted both from legal entities - companies intending to turn houses into hotels, and from individuals for their personal needs."

Of course, there are some "buts" here: the city began to be built up in the Middle Ages, many houses are now in a dilapidated or very dilapidated state, but they are subject to repair. In addition, new residents take on certain obligations: they must submit their real estate reconstruction project within one year from the date of purchase, and then restore and renovate the houses within five years. They will also incur the legal costs of transferring the property: approximately € 6,000, depending on the taxable value of the property. In addition, the buyer is required to pay a security deposit of € 5,000, which will be returned when the property is put in order.

Already 100 houses have been given, mainly to the Sicilians. It is known that the houses were bought by four families from England, one from Sweden, America and one from Russia. Now there are more applicants - buyers from all over Europe rushed to the island for exotic items. However, the mayor is in no hurry to hand over the remaining 200 houses. He claims that he is not interested in anyone who can just shell out a tidy sum of cash. “We don't want people to settle here simply because they have money,” the mayor said. "We want to know what you are going to do with the houses." It remains to be hoped that the truly most creative and unique ideas will come out on top and the streets of the ghost town will be filled with people.

And those who want to relax on the coast of Sicily will surely like unusual beach Scala dei Turchi … This outlandish place is known for its relief snow-white rocks, the ledges of which are like the steps of a giant staircase descending to the azure sea …