Can you really get a €100,000 grant to move to the Italian Alps?
Many of Italy's small towns have had to get creative in recent years to revert, or at least slow down, local population decline.
From selling homes at the symbolic price of one euro to offering generous grants to lure new residents, local authorities have trialled a range of schemes aimed at breathing life back into their communities.
Now the autonomous province of Trento is debating getting in on the act by awarding up to €100,000 to individuals willing to resettle in the area, according to Il Corriere della Sera newspaper.
As is always the case, however, it's not as simple as showing up at the provincial government's headquarters and holding out your palm.
The proposal still needs to be rubber-stamped by provincial authorities, with the vote set to be held in a little over a month's time.
If passed, the measure would release funds of up to €100,000 to individuals who spend at least €200,000 on buying and renovating a house in one of 33 depopulated mountain villages.
These are set to include Vermiglio, featured in a 2024 film of the same name, as well as the ski resorts of Borgo Chiese, Tre Ville and Bondone.
Here's the list of towns reportedly included in the proposal:
Bresimo
Dambel
Cis
Rumo
Novella
Livo
Rabbi
Peio
Vermiglio
Giudicarie
Bondone
Borgo Chiese
Valdaone
Pieve di Bono-Prezzo
Castel Condino
Bleggio Superiore
Terragnolo
Vallarsa
Luserna
Segonzano
Sover
Frassilongo
Ospedaletto
Castello Tesino
Pieve Tesino
Cinte Tesino
Grigno
Primiero San Martino di Castrozza
Sagron Mis
Mezzano
Canal San Bovo
Altavalle
Valfloriana
Applicants would be able to claim back 40 percent of the costs of renovating a home in the historic centre (or 35 percent of one outside of it) up to a limit of €80,000, with an additional €20,000 made available to offset the initial purchase costs.
People hoping to use the money to renovate a holiday home will be disappointed: applicants must commit to either relocating there for at least 10 years or renting to someone else who plans to stay for the same length of time.
People interested in the scheme will also have to do their homework, as candidates will need to specify the property they want to purchase in their application.
According to Ileana Olivo, the official spearheading the plans, the province has already allocated €10 million to the project and foresees spending €5 million per year, with an average spend of €50,000 per house.
"We envisage the construction of 100 new properties, with the relevant resident households," she told Il Corriere.
"We are talking about very small 'fringe' towns, where the introduction of just five new families changes the life of a village."
Whether the offer will be restricted to Italian residents and EU passport holders, as has been the case with similar schemes trialled in the past, or opened up to non-residents from other parts of the world, is still unclear.
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