Gangi
If you dream of a country retreat in one of Italy's tiny villages, the chance has now come up. The town councils of three minute hamlets are offering property for the nominal price of 1 (one euro) on condition that the new owners undertake to restructure the houses they purchase.
The three towns have a centuries-old history and splendid old medieval centres but suffer from a chronic depopulation problem. For years, the young generations have been forced to move elsewhere in order to find work, leaving their home village to fall gradually into neglect and ruin.
The mayors of the villages of Gangi, Salemi and Carrega Ligure have therefore taken the courageous decision to launch a symbolic price for houses in the hope of attracting new citizens.
Gangi, near Palermo, was proclaimed this year's best borgo (old town). Among its attractions, it has a 15th century castle , a civic museum and a frescoed noble palace. Salemi in the Belice Valley (Sicily) has a Norman castle, many fine churches, including the Duomo of St. Nicholas, and a spectacular annual festival in which fantastic sculptured bread altars are set up along the streets. Carriga Ligure is in the Ligury Alps in the province of Alessandria and boasts the 14th century church of St. Julian of Beauvais, decorated with precious stucco work, and the remains of the Malaspina Fieschi Doria castle.
Italy has an estimated 5,858 little villages, scattered all over the peninsula. Many of these have very few inhabitants and risk total abandonment. Nonetheless, they all enjoy local government with their own elected mayors and councillors, who dedicate themselves to running their town on shoestring budgets. Many give their services free of charge so as not to burden the town's limited finances.
Info: www.cosedicasa.com
