Welcome to Zungoli, a village of a thousand souls in the heart of Irpinia. We are in the province of Avellino, in a small village crossed by timeless streets that wind together on the ridge of a hill. Here history and culture are the stars of the show. But, as the mayor Paolo Caruso says, one of the problems is that of making the village more secure: a problem that is being remedied thanks to the 1 euro house project. Let's find out more about the 1 euro houses for sale in Zungoli, Italy as we speak to the mayor.
If I want to buy a house in your town for just one euro, what should I do?
Easy. We are about to post a selection of 1 euro houses for the fourth time, all of which can be found on the Municipality's website. Here it will also be possible to find out about the guidelines and necessary forms in order to buy a 1 euro houses in the town. And that's all. Buyers will have to make commitments when it comes to the timing of the construction and say what work they intend to carry out to renovate the property.
How many 1 euro houses are available? Is there a community of foreign people already emerging who have come to repopulate the village?
This community of foreigners does not exist. Not yet, at least: the pandemic has slowed everything down. But there is a lot of curiosity and we have at least 5000 active expressions of interest. Consider that this town has less than a thousand inhabitants and a total of 500 homes. We have acquired around a hundred and 15 will be available soon with the next application process.
When did you start with this project? And why?
We started in 2018. This choice allows us to better address the problem of making the village safe, in relation to seismic issues. In this way we are also able to create the conditions for economic development, because those who choose to renovate a house for one euro are nurturing productive prospects.
How does the application process work?
Here there is a double opportunity: one that allows private individuals interested in this project to donate a property to the municipality or to speak directly with those want to buy 1 euro houses by referring to the conditions that this project has set.
In any case, the local council takes charge of a property and makes it available to buy for 1 euro: we have already done this three times and as I mentioned, we are about to launch a selection of 1 euro houses for the fourth time. This is the only way for a village to be renewed. Otherwise all that remains are ruins. And it would be a shame because here there is rich culture and traditions, including the such transhumance which is part of a culture recognised by UNESCO.
People from all over the world are coming to Italy, mostly to Sicily, to make this type of investment. Is this the plan for Zungoli?
We seek people who can enjoy not only our beautiful landscapes, but who seek personal enrichment in our extraordinary culture. Also culinary. In fact, I can add that here in Zungoli we have collected data and have rediscovered the beauty of around 250 typical dishes.
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