In the medieval town of Naro in southwestern Sicily, you can buy a house for just one euro — the price of an espresso. However, behind this lure is not just the generosity of local authorities, but an attempt to stop the depopulation of the historic center and bring life back to abandoned buildings.
The program was launched by the municipality of Naro in the province of Agrigento. Applications are accepted through the online platform Case 1 Euro Naro, available in several languages, including English. Both Italians and foreigners, as well as companies and foundations, can participate. The properties are intended for residential use, as guest houses, or for commercial activities.
Similar initiatives are already active in dozens of Italian cities, especially in Sicily and other regions suffering from depopulation. In Naro, as in neighboring Mussomeli or Cammarata, authorities hope to attract new residents, revive tourism, and preserve architectural heritage — Baroque facades, the Chiaramontano castle, and medieval gates.
The main nuance of the program is that the symbolic price does not eliminate real expenses. The buyer is obliged to pay for notary services, registration and cadastral fees, and above all, to carry out major renovations. All properties in the catalog are marked as requiring restoration; a limited time is usually allotted for the work, and the project must comply with safety and landscape protection regulations.
After the landslide of 2005, part of the abandoned facades in Naro were turned into an open-air museum, which has already attracted the attention of artists and tourists. New owners will not only be able to find housing, but also become part of the city's revival process, where infrastructure has improved thanks to European funds and connections with Palermo.
Thus, Naro's offer is not a cheap deal, but an investment in the future: restoring a house becomes a contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage and the fight against the depopulation of entire regions of Italy.
