The mayor of Troina, the latest Italian village to offer 1 euro houses, has stated that "the aim is to repopulate the old town of Troina and create cultural exchange".
1 euro houses for sale in Troina
1 euro houses for sale in Troina / Shutterstock

The small Italian village of Troina in Sicily is just the latest in a long list of villages in Italy deciding to launch a 1 euro house project in 2021. After the success of similar schemes in Sambuca and Delia, the 1 euro home project has conquered another Sicilian village in 2021. This initiative is becoming increasingly widespread throughout Italy and is also attracting great interest from buyers abroad due to increasing coverage by the foreign media, including CNN. In a recent interview with idealista/news, the mayor of Troina, Sebastiano Venezia, explained that the aim is "to repopulate and revitalise the old town and create cultural exchange". This is what the mayor told idealista/news about the plans to repopulate this abandoned village.

Why has the municipality of Troina decided to launch its own 1 euro house project?

"Troina is a medieval village with a historic centre that has suffered abandonment and depopulation in recent decades. A few years ago, the municipal administration launched a major revival plan with about 25 million euros of public investment for urban redevelopment, the recovery of cultural assets and tourist development. With this houses for 1 euro project, we intend to involve foreigners interested in living in the village for a few months a year or for periods of rest or holidays, and they can spend time in a small village that is welcoming, liveable and that offers many opportunities."

There is great international attention for this type of initiative. So much so that, as has happened in the past for other projects, your municipality has also been mentioned by CNN. What kind of feedback is there from abroad?

"We have had a great response in the last month. There have been about 4,000 requests from all over the world and many have already booked to come and visit our village in the coming months."

Who has shown the most interest to date?

"A lot of Americans and British people, but also Russians, French and Germans. There have also been many requests from Latin America, Japan and the Middle East."

The project was launched at the end of October 2020. What kind of response have you received?

"We have received a lot of interest. Behind this houses for 1 euro project there are ideas, projects and lifestyles that we are sure will enrich our community".

What is the administration's objective with this initiative?

"To repopulate and revitalise the historic centre and create a cultural exchange, promoting the values of hospitality and enhancing the value of our territory in terms of tourism".