No one wants to buy the 1 euro houses in this Italian village

A house for a euro? Small Italian towns like Manza in the Lazio region or Mussomeli in Sicily seem like a dream to many. But while housing in some places is hot, others can't get rid of their 1-euro homes.

This includes Patrica, a remote medieval village of nearly 3,000 people south of Rome. Many families migrated decades ago in search of a better future and their homes were left in ruins.

To breathe new life into a dying village, the town's mayor, Lucio Fiordaliso, is trying to emulate the success of other Italian villages. 40 abandoned properties for sale for one euro – but only two houses have been removed so far.

But why does the 1 euro campaign work so well in some Italian places and not in others? There are legal principles behind this. Although cities depopulated by earthquakes and other natural disasters have official permission to sell abandoned houses without the permission of the owner families or their heirs, this does not apply to Patrica.

As Fiordaliso explains to US news website CNN, the process is quite complicated. “We received approval from ten owner families, but after we officially advertised the €1 houses, they were withdrawn at the last minute.” The rest did not respond to the request.

Abrogation may occur due to conflicts between heirs. In older Italian cities, buildings were sometimes divided between heirs. In other words: one person gets the bathroom, the other gets the kitchen. And according to Italian law, nothing can be sold without the written consent of all the heirs.

“The sale of the potential 1-euro houses reached a dead end, especially since most of the relatives who shared the same property disagreed for personal reasons or could not agree on the sale,” Mayor Lucio Fiordaliso told CNN outside. Additionally, the fact that many families have migrated abroad long ago makes the search more difficult.

But even after overcoming this hurdle, further problems arise for heirs and potential buyers. On the one hand, the heirs must account for tax arrears and waste disposal fees of up to 2,400 francs. On the other hand, many of the 1-euro houses are in a very neglected state.

Despite all the difficulties, Mayor Lucio Fiordaliso did not give up. He encourages residents to increase the city's attractiveness to attract newcomers: for example, the town hall financed the facades of some old palaces, which prompted some families to renovate their homes.

Anyone setting up a business activity such as a bed and breakfast or a shop in the Old City will be exempted from paying certain taxes for ten years. There are also tax incentives for foreign nationals who want to settle and start a small business in Patrika.