Houses for sale in the National Park of Abruzzo in central Italy at 1 euro: for anybody dreaming of owning a house in Italy, this almost sounds too good to be true.
It is in fact true, although here’s the full disclaimer: the houses, in the historical center of Lecce nei Marsi, need to be completely restructured. The owner will need to bear the costs of renovating and making them safe, while respecting the original architecture and the surrounding environment.
Initiatives of this kind are not new. Other tiny villages in Italy, like the famous case of Gangi in Sicily, had a similar resolution, where old, almost dilapidated houses no longer on the market are acquired by donation from private owners by the local municipality and put back on sale by public procedure at the cost of one euro. Last year, an entire village in northern Italy with houses to restore was put up for sale. The goal of such initiatives is to recover and repopulate the town centers, and possibly to attract back or lure to stay the younger generations, who are increasingly moving away, to bigger Italian cities or abroad.
Lecce nei Marsi, in the province of L’Aquila, is located in the beautiful National Park of Abruzzo. One more possible long-term benefit would be to increase tourism in the area, following the example of once forgotten villages, like Santo Stefano di Sessanio and Rocca Calascio, which, after being restored, have seen a big increase in the number of visitors.
Thinking you may give it a shot? Start with our language guide to “Restoring a property in Italy – useful tips and vocabulary”.
Want to look at more options? Browse our Property section.
