Challenges Faced by a Southern Italian Town in Selling its One-Euro Homes

Italy has been offering one-euro-home sales which have caught the attention of many people in recent years. Many have taken advantage of this opportunity to purchase abandoned properties in towns that are struggling with depopulation.

Towns such as Mussomeli in Sicily and Zungoli in Campania have successfully sold numerous abandoned homes to foreigners who are eager to fulfill their Italian dream. However, there are some towns that have faced challenges in selling their vacant properties.

Patrica is a remote medieval village with just 3,000 residents, situated south of Rome. In the early 1900s, over 40 properties in the village were abandoned and left to decay.

Located on a rocky plateau, Patrica offers picturesque views of the Sacco valley in central Italy. Despite its beauty, life in the village was challenging for its inhabitants in the past.

Abandoned homes

Italian village Patrica, located south of Rome, is struggling to offload its abandoned homes.

Italian village Patrica, located south of Rome, is struggling to offload its abandoned homes.

Comune di Patrica

Many residents left their homes in search of better opportunities, leaving the village deserted for many years.

The town's mayor, Lucio Fiordaliso, is trying to revive the dying village by following the example of other Italian villages. They have offered their vacant homes for sale at one euro, or just over a dollar, in hopes of attracting new residents. However, his efforts have not yielded much success so far.

"We started by identifying all the abandoned houses and then reaching out to the owners to ask if they would like to sell their run-down family properties. Unfortunately, we were only able to sell two homes for just one euro," Fiordaliso shared with CNN.

Acquarica del Capo, Presicce, Salento, Puglia, Italy. Town square with the seat of the municipality and the town hall. The ancient stone and brick building. Flower beds with the lawn and palm trees.

Acquarica del Capo is a charming town in Salento, Puglia, Italy. The town square is home to the municipality and the town hall, housed in a beautiful ancient stone and brick building. Surrounding the square are flower beds, lush green lawn, and tall palm trees, creating a picturesque setting.

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In towns affected by earthquakes and other natural disasters, local authorities have the ability to sell abandoned homes without needing permission from the owners. However, in towns like Patrica, this is not the case.

Fiordaliso explains, "In order to sell old houses, we must first have the consent of the owners or their heirs."

Fiordaliso explains that the town received a “positive response” from 10 owners after sending out a “public call to involve them in our one-euro-homes project,” but they withdrew at the last minute. The rest never replied. Only then can we place these properties up for sale with their consent, which makes the process very complicated, almost impossible.

Public call

Many of the town's local families left in search of a brighter future elsewhere, leaving their homes empty for decades.

Many of the town's local families left in search of a brighter future elsewhere, leaving their homes empty for decades.

Comune di Patrica

Fiordaliso believes that some individuals may have altered their decisions due to conflicts with other family members who also have a stake in the property.

In old Italian towns, abandoned buildings are often divided among several heirs, each owning a portion such as a bathroom, balcony, or kitchen. According to Italian law, nothing can be sold without the written consent of all heirs.

In the past, children would often receive parts of their family home such as land, wells, and orchards as inheritance.

However, there is no assurance that these relatives will remain close or in touch in the future.

The mayor mentioned that the process of selling potential one euro homes was stuck because many family members who co-owned the properties couldn't come to an agreement due to personal conflicts or lack of communication. Some relatives were not familiar with each other or lived far away, making it difficult to reach a consensus on the sale.

In certain cases, the one euro homes were never formally divided among the heirs in the past. This resulted in a blurred ownership line, leaving uncertainty about who should rightfully own the properties now.

Fiordaliso mentioned that it has been a challenging task to locate the descendants of property owners who had moved abroad, particularly to countries like the US, Canada, and Argentina. These descendants may have different last names or might have transferred ownership of their Italian property to foreigners without informing the town hall in Patrica.

He compared the difficulty of this task to searching for a needle in a haystack.

Patricia successfully sold the only two abandoned homes through its one-euro scheme. These properties were owned by local individuals, so there was no need to involve distant relatives or descendants in the sales process. This made the transactions simple and hassle-free.

The remote medieval village has a population of around 3,000.

The remote medieval village has a population of around 3,000.

Comune di Patrica

In situations where family feuds are at play, relatives could choose not to sell their share due to legal issues tied to inheritance disputes, or even as a form of revenge.

Original owners who have been living elsewhere for a long time may hesitate to reveal themselves to local authorities for fear of facing back taxes and waste disposal charges of up to 2,500 euros per year, as well as unpaid utility bills.

Another factor that may have contributed to the lack of interest in the one euro scheme in Patrica is the poor condition of the abandoned homes.

Some houses are in such poor condition that they cannot be sold, even if the owners are open to the idea.

One day, Patrica's neighbor Gianni Valleco and his two brothers made the decision to sell their parents' empty house. However, they quickly realized that the house was not in a good enough state to attract potential buyers.

stanley tucci searching for italy parents origseriesfilms_00004914.png

stanley tucci searching for italy parents origseriesfilms_00004914.png

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"We thought, 'Why not try it'? Even if it's just for one euro, we could get rid of a lot of useless stones. We were curious to see if anyone would be interested in buying it," Valleco explains.

After fifty years, we found our parents' home in ruins. It was completely destroyed, almost like it had been leveled to the ground. The roof and walls had caved in, creating an open space filled with grass and bushes. All that was left was a small plot of land, an unsightly garden right in the middle of the historic district.

Valleco mentioned that a neighbor had been using the remaining part of the home as a dumping ground for their old belongings. He further explained that they came to the conclusion that nobody would be interested in purchasing the property due to the extensive costs involved in rebuilding the house. Valleco suggested that it would be a better investment to buy a small rural cottage in the nearby area.

Thankfully, not all of the deserted homes in Patrica that could be potentially sold for one euro are in quite such a terrible state, and some have garnered interest from potential buyers.

The mayor mentioned that a few foreigners, including individuals from the US and Europe, have shown interest in the abandoned one-euro dwellings. However, unfortunately, there were no properties available for them to purchase.

In the meantime, Fiordaliso has been coming up with new ways to boost the town’s appeal in the hope of luring newcomers.

New scheme

The town hall recently provided funding for renovating the exterior of some old palazzos, inspiring locals to revamp their neglected family homes and put them to good use.

Local resident Alessandra Pagliarosi went above and beyond by transforming her husband's inherited 1950s mansion into a charming B&B named Patricia.

Pagliarosi mentioned that they redid the roof and interior of the property, which was practically falling apart. The mayor's decision to relocate provided them with a perfect opportunity to fully renovate the previously neglected property.

Individuals who choose to start a business such as a B&B or artisan boutique in the historic district can benefit from new tax breaks introduced by the town hall. They are exempt from paying taxes on waste disposal, advertisement, and public space use for a period of 10 years. Additionally, they are granted tax credits to cover the costs of restructuring the property.

Pagliarosi mentions that for a small B&B, this would mean saving about 1,200 euros (approximately $1,310) per year in taxes, which is a considerable amount of money.

Additionally, foreigners who are looking to move to Patrica and start a small business can also take advantage of these tax benefits.

Two new B&Bs and a restaurant have recently opened in Patrica. Local realtor Ilario Grossi, from the Immobil Lepini estate agency in nearby Ceccano, shared that a number of American descendants of emigrant families have been visiting the area to explore property options.

But the town’s move-in ready homes, with two-bedroom options starting at 20,000 euros ($21,832), turned out to be more attractive.

Grossi mentions, "There is interest, but when many foreigners see the poor condition of the old homes, they prefer to choose turn-key apartments that are already renovated or only need minor repairs."

It's easier to buy a newer home than to deal with the high costs of renovating an old building.

Fiordaliso is still determined to sell the town's neglected homes, even if it involves navigating conflicts between family members.

Editor's P/S:

The difficulties faced by the Italian village of Patrica in selling its abandoned homes for one euro highlight the challenges inherent in revitalizing rural areas. The complex ownership structure of old buildings, with multiple heirs having a stake in each property, creates a bureaucratic nightmare that hampers the sale process. Furthermore, the poor condition of many of these homes, coupled with the fear of back taxes and waste disposal charges, discourages potential buyers.

Despite these obstacles, the mayor of Patrica, Lucio Fiordaliso, remains optimistic about the future of his town. He has implemented new schemes to boost its appeal, including tax breaks for businesses and funding for renovating old palazzos. While the one-euro home scheme may have faced setbacks, Fiordaliso's determination to revitalize Patrica serves as an inspiration for other struggling towns seeking to attract new residents and revive their communities.. However, the long-term success of these efforts depends on overcoming the obstacles that have prevented the one-euro-home scheme from reaching its full potential.