Picturesque Italian Village Is Selling Its Historic Houses For Just 1 Euro

The Italian village of Ollolai is located in the mountainous region of Barbagia, Sardinia. Surprisingly, it's selling 200 of its historical stone houses for only €1 (approximately $1.25). Does it sound too good to be true? Well, there is a catch. The rustic houses are in need of repair, and they'll only be sold to people who are willing to invest hard work, as well as the additional restoration funds. According to CCN, these would likely cost about $25,000. Furthermore, whoever is up for the challenge should also complete any restoration work within 3 years.

Part of the Italian project Case a 1 euro, this scheme’s long-term goal is to rejuvenate small towns in Italy that are at risk of becoming abandoned. Since younger residents move to bigger cities searching for new opportunities, Ollolai's population has dwindled by around half in the past fifty years, with only 1,300 inhabitants today. To reverse the issue, the town’s mayor, Efisio Arbau, has asked the former owners of the town's crumbling dwellings to donate them so that they could be put on the market. “We boast prehistoric origins,” Arbau said. “My crusade is to rescue our unique traditions from falling into oblivion.”

So far, 3 of the historic stone houses have been sold, and over 100 offers have come from several places around the world. If you're interested, you can download the application documents (written in Italian) via the Case a 1 euro website.

Case a 1 euro: Website