Reportedly, the rate at which abandoned properties are being sold is cheaper than a cup of coffee. The picturesque town of Salemi is being sold at only €1 (Rs 86), due to depopulation.
A beautiful Italian town is now making news headlines for a bizarre reason. The town located in the south-west side of Sicily is now selling abandoned houses at throwaway prices that is hard to wrap your head around.
Reportedly, the rate at which abandoned properties are being sold is cheaper than a cup of coffee. The picturesque town of Salemi is being sold at only €1 (Rs 86), due to depopulation.
According to reports, several Italian towns are facing the problem of depopulation, and Salemi is the latest to join the bandwagon. Notably, the locals were already finding it difficult to sell the properties, and then the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation forcing the town management to bring down the real estate prices drastically.
Salemi is a town surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. The walls in the town date back to the 1600s. However, the 1960s Belice Valley earthquake devastated the community living the town, and almost 4,000 residents fled after the tragedy.
Now, Salemi has become a deserted town, with the throwaway sales a last attempt to revive the town's economy and cultural activities.
CNN quoted the mayor saying that the sale was to revive the town tackling the massive problem of depopulation.
“All buildings belong to the city council, which speeds up the sale and reduces red tape. Before launching the scheme we first had to recover the old parts of Salemi where the houses are located, upgrading infrastructures and services from roads to electric grids and sewage pipes. Now the town is ready for the next step,” Sameli's mayor, Domenico Venuti said to CNN Travel.
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