Ollolai welcomes applicants of all nationalities, but US citizens have the privilege of a fast-tracked application process.
Three weeks ago, a deeply divided US became even more bitterly carved in the middle. Donald Trump’s election win heralds his return to the White House—and many Americans won’t have any of a second Trump presidency anymore.
The anxiety surrounding the famously volatile 45th POTUS/convicted felon has reverberated across the world. Particularly on edge are countries such as Ukraine which is in the middle of a prolonged war versus Russia, potential flashpoint Taiwan, and the Philippines, with our very own West Philippine Sea experiencing Chinese aggressions.
But one tiny village in rural Italy saw opportunity where there is unease.
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In the wake of the divisive November 5 US Presidential election, the local government of Ollolai launched the “Work from Ollolai” website aimed at prospective American expats, offering up unbelievably affordable homes in the hope that those disillusioned by the result will consider purchasing its many abandoned properties.
The website reads: “The village of Ollolai is seeking successful professionals who are eager to contribute to the community by sharing their knowledge through presentations, classes, or projects related to their respective fields, careers, or experiences. In exchange for this valuable contribution, you’ll enjoy an almost free stay in the village!”
But fear of Trump 2.0 is not the only reason that this Sardinian town is trying to attract prospective residents. In fact, like many other similar towns in Italy, Ollolai has long been trying to lure outsiders in a bid to combat depopulation.
However, Francesco Columbu, the town’s mayor, decided to release more homes for sale after Trump won a second term as US president, according to a report on The Guardian.
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According to the mayor, within just one day, they had “30,000 requests [from would-be residents] and over 156,000 visitors to the site.”
Columbu tells CNN that the website was specifically created to attract Americans, as the mayor loves the US and is “convinced Americans are the best people to help revive his community.”
The project is open to other nationalities too, but US applications have the advantage of a fast-tracked procedure. He said the objective was not to interfere in US political issues but to create investment and jobs in the town.
Italy’s “dying villages”
In the past century, Ollolai’s population has shrunk from 2,250 to the current count of roughly 1,150. But it is just one of several “dying villages” across Italy. As in the other vanishing towns, many families chose to leave during tough economic times in search of work and better lives.
A 2016 Italian environmental association report found out that there are nearly 2,500 rural Italian villages that are “perilously depopulated, some semi-abandoned and others virtual ghost towns,” per a report on The New York Times. These towns are mostly found in the boot-shaped country’s historically impoverished south, which had already lost tens of millions of inhabitants in the great waves of migration from the late 19th century to the mid 1970s. In the last 25 years, they lost another 15 percent.
But when these places start withering away, it’s not just the local economy and population that suffer. Unique cultures and traditions—and in Italy certain town-specific artisanal skills—also run the risk of dying out.
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In 2017, in an attempt to help preserve endangered villages, the Italian government declared it ‘‘The Year of the Villages’’ in hopes of boosting tourism. This proved to be inadequate, prompting local governments to take on the herculean task themselves. A medieval hamlet in Tuscany called Pratariccia, for instance, sold itself on eBay for $3.1 million in 2012. Two years later, the town of Calsazio offered itself on the same site for only $333,000, listing the item’s condition as ‘‘used.’’
In Ollolai’s case, it has already tried to attract new residents with appealing housing schemes in 2018. In 2023, it launched a “work from Ollolai” program for digital nomads, which has been met with some success. According to the same report on The Guardian, 10 American professionals moved to the village last year and are paying just €1 a month in rent. In return, they had to give back to the community in the form of a creative output, like an artwork or a book.
For its part, the town hall pays to rent the homes from local families for the remote workers, paying roughly €350 per month for multi-floor, two-bedroom dwellings. Utilities, bills and council taxes are also covered.
Despite the tempting offers, plans to rejuvenate tiny Ollolai have not been going as well as local authorities had hoped. Colombu laments: “The village remains half empty, we still have about 100 unoccupied cheap homes potentially on sale, ready to move in. We have mapped and listed them all, and soon photos will be online for buyers to take a look at.”
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Ollolai is located in a mountainous region where ancient farming traditions live on. It boasts year-round sunshine, pollution-free air, few crowds, and stunning views. Even more impressive is that the village is part of an area in Sardinia designated a “blue zone” – one of five regions of the world where people live much longer than average.
Columbu is hoping that the latest effort will attract more digital nomads. With this, the village is now offering three tiers of accommodation: Free temporary homes to certain remote workers, one-euro homes in need of renovations, and ready-to-occupy houses for prices up to €100,000 ($105,000).
If you’re thinking of trying to send in an application but are worried about the logistics of moving to a rural Italian village in case you’ve been approved, fret not, dear reader. To help you move in seamlessly, the town is also providing a team of experts to help guide you through the process of buying a property, dealing with paperwork and even finding contractors for renovation works.
“The whole point is to revitalize the town and improve the life of inhabitants,” Columbu says, as quoted on The Guardian. “We are a population of mostly elderly people in a town which is depopulating and we need to invest in our future. We can’t resolve the issue with these initiatives, but at least we are creating a bit of activity.
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