Borgo Bibbiena, Borgo Office
Borgo Bibbiena, Borgo Office

Imagine teleworking in some of Italy's most beautiful villages while staying at a farm for free and immersing yourself in local life. This is now possible thanks to the platform Borgo Office, founded in January 2021 with the intention of bringing the Italian digital nomads, and soon also European ones, to discover the tourist, architectural and enogastronomic beauties of Italy. idealista/news talked to Federico Pisanty, founder of BorgoOffice.

"The project," says Pisanty, "was born during the pandemic at the instigation of a network we work with, because we have been involved in the world of work for about 10 years with digital projects. A lot of participants wanted to be able to work remotely in beautiful places in nature. Based on this impulse, we started to contact some agritourism sites and, after an initial trial period lasting from summer until the end of 2020, we officially launched the Borgo Office platform".

How Borgo Office works

At the moment, the platform that encourages the contact between teleworkers or digital nomads and the structures that host them includes about thirty, mostly rural tourist accomodation sites, distributed from the north to the south of the peninsula, "with some areas with a higher concentration, such as Tuscany, which is currently the most popular region". The aim is to have fifty facilities selected from those that spontaneously apply through the portal and that meet standards not only of quality but also of facility, "because they must all have, first and foremost, an excellent internet connection and the workstations must also be pleasant". 

Remote workers who want to take part in this experience can follow a guided path on the platform that allows them to get in touch with the chosen facility. There are currently four different solutions on offer, ranging from a minimum stay of one night to a month's stay, as well as a weekend and a week's stay. "As of 15 March, we had received around 390 package bookings from people from all over Italy. Most of them are professionals, executives and freelancers. The most popular package is the week package, followed by the weekend package, while the daily and monthly packages are not very popular. We have included the latter for those who want to take a break from their city routine."

In exchange for the free stay and the possibility of working remotely in these facilities, guests can buy support packages containing products from the host farm's zero food miles. But that's not all. "Lately we have decided to include a variety of experiences ranging from yoga and cooking classes to hikes around the area and bike rides, with each facility offering what suits them best. It's no coincidence that once the time has run out for remote work, which is carried out in complete autonomy, participants can decide to immerse themselves completely in a unique and total experience in the facility and the village that hosts them. It is no coincidence that one of the most powerful aspects of the project is precisely the desire to discover the area's tourist and food and wine excellence."

A project also open to European nomads

The month of April was problematic due to the worsening epidemiological situation. "We had to cancel many bookings because of the travel ban, but we are already taking new bookings for May, June and July. Many people have decided to move the dates of their stay, because those who want to experience Borgo Office, unlike those who use a traditional platform, do not have a precise date in mind, but take advantage of the first available space". 

In view of the forthcoming openings already announced, "we have already translated our website into English to be able to offer this experience to European digital nomads as well. We are convinced that they too will love the chance to work remotely in an Italian village."

Borgo Montalto / Borgo Office
Borgo Montalto / Borgo Office
Borgo Paderna / Borgo Office
Borgo Paderna / Borgo Office
Borgo Figline Valdarno / Borgo Office
Borgo Figline Valdarno / Borgo Office
Borgo Gubbio / Borgo Office
Borgo Gubbio / Borgo Office
Borgo Martina Franca / Borgo Office
Borgo Martina Franca / Borgo Office