The survival of small villages in Italy today depends on more than just new residents; it depends on maintaining basic services. In several regions, the lack of commercial activity has led municipal administrations to adopt drastic measures to ensure that basic necessities such as food and fuel remain available.
Zero rent for markets in Sardinia
Em CheremuleIn a small village in Sardinia with about 400 inhabitants, the last market closed its doors four years ago. To reverse the isolation, the municipality has made available a 50-square-meter space with zero rent for a period of three years.
In addition to free rent, the entrepreneur who takes over the premises will receive a full exemption from municipal taxes and direct administrative support. The goal is to serve the elderly population who live alone and face increasing difficulties in purchasing basic necessities.
Public management of essential services
The scenario of commercial abandonment also affects other sectors. In Castignano, a mountain town in Ascoli PicenoIn the Marche region, private initiatives failed to find interested parties to manage the only gas station in the area.
Faced with the risk of a total shortage of supplies for the community, the municipal administration itself had to take over the direct management of the gas station. The case illustrates the less glamorous side of Italy, where the state needs to intervene to prevent essential services from disappearing in rural areas.
Opportunities in Recoaro Terme and Trentino
Initiatives linked to entrepreneurship are also gaining momentum in the wealthy north. In Recoaro TermeThe call for applications for 1 euro housing directly benefits those who wish to open tourism or craft businesses, provided they employ local labor.
In Trentino, the strategy focuses on economic revitalization of 32 small municipalitiesThrough non-repayable subsidies, the province encourages the renovation of spaces that integrate new residents into the region's economy, attempting to curb the cycle of business closures.
