Ollolai, located in the center of Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean, is one of the five places in the world called “blue zones” because a significant part of the population is over 100 years old.
However, the population of the city aged and shrank at the same time. Due to migration to larger cities, the official population has dropped from 2,013 to 1,174 in the last 40 years.
The local community promises 10 select newcomers “proximity to unspoiled nature, delicious cuisine and the incredible beaches nearby” for a monthly rental fee of just €1 ($1.60). The small town also prides itself on its centuries-old Sardinian wrestling, basket weaving and sheep’s cheese production.
It’s not the first time the local government has made an effort to draw foreigners as part of a larger Italian initiative to repopulate rural areas by providing affordable housing.
Ollolai made headlines around the world a few years ago when it began offering abandoned houses for sale for €1, with the stipulation that the new owners renovate them. Dutch TV station RTL produced a reality show in Ollolai that followed five couples as they moved to the village and renovated the houses assigned to them, as the offer went extremely viral. The winners, who received €20,000 ($32,000), reportedly transformed their home into a bed-and-breakfast for tourists.
Now, local leaders want to benefit from the expansion of remote work.
The Italian government passed a bill in March 2022 that would create a new “digital nomad visa” for highly skilled remote workers from outside the EU. However, it has not yet been published. Non-EU citizens can still obtain a short-term visa to work from Italy.
“Revitalising the country, improving the life of the inhabitants and curbing depopulation, these are the objectives we have set for ourselves,” Ollolai mayor Francesco Columbu said in a statement.
Participants are expected to share their skills and ideas with the neighborhood through presentations, classes, or projects in return for essentially free lodging.
Anthropologist Veronica Matta is the leader of the Sa Mata association, which is assisting the neighborhood council with the project. It’s an interesting social experiment, she says.
“It’s not just about an opportunity to come and stay here but also about the way how the newcomers are going to interact with the rest of the village, and how their presence is going to change the village,” she told SBS Dateline.