The medieval town of Naro in Sicily has joined an Italian national initiative offering abandoned houses for a symbolic price of one euro. Euronews reported that selected properties in the historic settlement are being put up for sale at the token rate to halt depopulation and restore deteriorating buildings.
Local municipal authorities in Naro launched the real estate initiative with the goal of restoring the town's historic center while attracting new permanent residents and tourists. Real estate purchases under the scheme are open to both Italian citizens and foreign buyers, provided that applicants satisfy all local municipal conditions.
While the purchase price for selected properties is set at just one euro, buyers are required to take on substantial financial commitments. The full costs of renovating the dilapidated structures must be paid by the buyer. Purchasers must also pay all associated administrative expenses, including notary fees, registration taxes, and land registry or cadastral charges.
In addition to direct construction costs, buyers must fund the formal development of a property renovation project. The proposed reconstruction plans must ensure that the building strictly complies with safety requirements, urban planning codes, and local landscape preservation regulations. According to the report, local officials will likely set a strict deadline for buyers to complete all required restoration work.
Medieval history and landmark sights
Naro is located within the province of Agrigento on the island of Sicily in southern Italy. The historic settlement is widely recognized for its rich architectural heritage, featuring medieval structures, Baroque buildings, and the hilltop Chiaramonte Castle.
Agrigento is a southwestern Sicilian province known for its hilltop towns and historic architecture. Chiaramonte Castle, also known as Castello Chiaramontano, stands as a key historic landmark in Naro, dating back to the medieval era when powerful feudal families fortified hilltops across Sicily.
The town's streetscape also reflects more recent history and efforts at urban renewal. Following a damaging landslide in 2005, local artists transformed the exterior walls of several abandoned homes into elements of an open-air street museum.
Among Naro's surviving historic structures is the Golden Gate, known locally as Porta d'Oro. Constructed in at least the 13th century, the gate originally served as one of seven defensive entrances allowing access into the medieval walled town.
Comparable Italian housing schemes
Naro is not the only municipality in Sicily to launch inexpensive real estate programs to combat rural decline. In Sambuca di Sicilia, located roughly a half-hour drive from the Mediterranean coast, local officials previously put abandoned houses up for public auction starting at just three dollars.
The scheme offering one-euro Sicilian homes comes as housing markets in other European regions experience contrasting trends. In the suburban areas surrounding Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, demand for private residential houses has continued to grow, with average prices rising by 15 percent over the past year from 100,000 dollars to 115,000 dollars.
