A gorgeous, quaint town in Italy is offering £25,000 to anyone who moves there.
The quaint, provinicial town of Presicce in south-east Italy is throwing cash at anyone, from anywhere, if they're willing to become a new neighbour.
According to CNN, anyone willing to set up a new life in the town is being offered the generous stipend as part of the council's ploy to bring in fresh, creative blood.
Local councillor Alfredo Palese said: “There are many empty homes in the historical center built before 1991 which we would like to see alive again with new residents."
He lamented how the historic village, which emerged in the Middle Ages and is full of "wonderful architechture and art", is "slowly emptying".
The abandoned district is home to the beautiful natural surroundings of the Salaento area, which is poised on the heel of Italy's boot.
Stunning powder sand beaches and crystal clear waters punctuate its shorelines.
A 15-minute drive south would take new residents to Santa Maria di Leuca - an area described by Virgil in his canonical tome , the Aeneid.
The shoreline features craggy rock cliffs studded with cavernous grottoes.
The offer isn't set in stone, but information will soon start trickling on to the town hall website for interested parties over the next few weeks.
To qualify, prospective buyers will likely need to purchase properties built before 1991, and agree to become a full time resident.
Twenty-five-thousand dollars will score a 500 sq-ft home in the village.
“We will be offering up to 30,000 euros to people willing to move here and buy one of these abandoned dwellings,” Mr Palese added. “The total funding will be split in two: it will go partly into buying an old home and partly into restyling it, if needed.”
The village can afford the generous offer after merging with a neighbouring town in 2019.
Presicce and Acquarica joined together to boost the population to 9,000, and the process earned them some extra funding.
“After the merger, as per Italian law, our wider territory will be blessed with more public funds, roughly [1 million] euros per year for several years forward, which we intend to invest to revitalize the old district,” explained Palese.
This is one of several schemes set up by the town hall to lure new residents, including tax breaks for new businesses and bonuses for couples who have babies there, and for families in general.
Presicce was once known as the "city of green gold" for its lush olive groves.
The type that originated in the region was a premium extra virgin olive oil which became famous throughout the Renaissance.
The village was also known for its fine wine, cattle trade and cheese production.
At the time, many of the locals didn't live in houses at all. Instead, they dug themselves cave homes in the region's rocky landscape.
And beneath Presicce, a subterranean city remains, which has become a popular draw for tourists.
