Old Town. Piazza G.Matteotti square. Fountain of the Dragons. Civita Castellana. Lazio. Italy. Europe. (Photo by: Mauro Flamini/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Have you ever thought about giving up big city living and settling down in a scenic village, possibly in South Italy, where it’s warm almost year-round? If you think you’re ready to trade in the life you’re living, Italy is paying people to move there.
The region of Calabria plans to offer up to $33,000 over a maximum of three years to assist people willing to relocate to idyllic villages with barely 2,000 residents in the hope of reversing years of population decline CNN reports.
These pretty villages are located near the sea and/or on mountainsides. The money comes with a catch, though.
New residents must also commit to kickstarting a small business, either from scratch or by taking up pre-existing offers of specific professionals wanted by those towns.
There are a few other requirements for that cash too.
Applicants must take up residency and be a maximum of 40 years old. Applicants must also be ready to relocate to Calabria within 90 days of their successful application.
Officials are hoping the offer will attract proactive young people and millennials eager to work in their towns.
Gianluca Gallo, a regional councilor, told CNN the monthly income could be in the range of $900-$1,100 for two to three years. However, there could be one-off funding to support the launch of a new commercial business, such as a bed and breakfast, restaurant, bar, or store.
“We’re honing the technical details, the exact monthly amount and duration of the funds, and whether to include also slightly larger villages with up to 3,000 residents,” Gallo told CNN. “We’ve had so far a huge interest from villages and hopefully, if this first scheme works, more are likely to follow in coming years.”
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