Abandoned for 60 years, the houses, reduced to ruins, will be renovated and donated to new residents
Forget about 1 euro houses. In charming Tuscany, Italy, an innovative project promises to restore houses in a medieval village, now reduced to ruins, and make them available to future residents, free of charge.
Brento Sanico, which in Germanic language meant “protected from time”, has been abandoned since the 1960s.
Nicknamed the “Ghost Borgo of Tuscany”, the village is well hidden from the eyes of local residents. But not from Don Antonio Samorì, a priest who decided to rebuild the town with the force of volunteers and with the idea of make your homes available, practically free of charge, for those who want to adopt a bucolic lifestyle, and logically, continue the local tradition.
“While filming the village, I met two young people who talked to Don Antonio and showed interest in living in the village. It also seems that the priest is in contact with other couples, which would be perfect, as his dream is to recreate a housing complex”, says filmmaker Tommaso Tucci, highlighting the uniqueness of this project.
In recent years, some people have become fascinated by the place's peculiarities, its atmosphere and its history, and are working to bring life back to the village.
good friends
The first was Anna Boschi, passionate about mountains and volunteer guide for groups of hikers, she visited Brento Sanico for the first time in 1998.
Three years ago, upon discovering that the village was even more deteriorated, Boschi took action to protect, at least, the small 15th century church.
After an initial intervention by a group of friends and acquaintances to free the village from the bushes, making it more accessible, she joined Don Antonio, with the mission of restoring the Church. Therefore, the priest went further: his intention was to rebuild the entire village, made up of six houses.
“The inhabitants of Brento Sanico lived from sheep farming, small farming and chestnut harvesting. I would like to see the village reborn. I am the daughter of peasants and I remember the life that my grandparents lived, with so much effort, but also with deep serenity. This makes me want to give someone the opportunity to live this way”, dreams Anna Boschi.
City of nobles
The place, inhabited throughout history by Ligurian, Umbrian, Etruscan and Roman tribes, belonged to the noble Ubaldini family in the Middle Ages. It was a well-known crossing point until the mid-19th century, being located close to the only road that connected Tuscany to Emilia Romagna.
With the construction of new roads and the arrival of modernity, however, the village gradually lost its importance, being completely abandoned in the 1960s.
For now, the project is progressing slowly thanks to volunteers who offer their free time.
Are you interested? If you want more information, write to: [email protected]
