Campofranco, in the interior of Sicily, in the extreme south of Italy, has become a destination for Brazilians looking for houses for 1 euro, a symbolic value equivalent to less than R$7. The small town, with 2,5 inhabitants, has already sold six properties to Brazilians and two more are in progress.
Unlike other Italian villages, campofranco does not require the buyer to renovate the house or deposit a deposit at the town hall. The only condition is to close the deal in person in Italy.
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“On WhatsApp alone, we received more than 300 requests from Brazil after an advertisement was published in the international press with a translation into Portuguese,” says Antonino Cuschera, owner of the real estate agency Vero Affare. Together with his brother Carmelo, he organizes the sale of abandoned houses in the region.
The €1 home project aims to repopulate areas that have lost residents over the years. In the case of Campofranco, the brothers want to bring together all the Brazilian buyers in the town to create a community.
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“Once you have a small group of people there, they end up bringing others and, suddenly, a community is formed,” says Antonino. According to him, many have Italian citizenship. and interest in investing in the recovery of properties, even without an immediate obligation to renovate.
Despite the precarious state of the houses — many without roofs and covered in rubble — the price per square meter is among the lowest in Sicily. The proximity to larger cities, such as Caltanissetta, is also attractive.
“Brazilians feel at home in Sicily,” says Antonino. On a recent visit, locals offered coffee and cookies to interested visitors, who accepted the invitation and started a conversation — something that, according to him, is not repeated with other nationalities.
The project that sells houses for 1 euro in Sicily, southern Italy, has attracted investors from several countries. Villages such as Sambuca di Sicilia, Mussomeli, Troina and Campofranco have gained new residents and businesses.
In Sambuca, a pioneer in the initiative, Americans and Europeans buy properties in ruins. To guarantee the restoration, each buyer deposits 5 euros to the city hall. Many transform the houses into accommodation or rent them out to digital nomads.
On average, renovations cost 30 euros, but can cost up to 200 euros, depending on the project. According to local figures, more than 21 million euros have already been invested in restorations.
Other municipalities, such as Mussomeli and Troina, have raised the symbolic price to 2 or 3 euros. The target audience continues to be foreigners, especially Canadians and Americans, who have even created a “Little America” in the region.
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