Buying a house in rural Tuscany is on many people’s bucket list, but real estate in the region is notoriously expensive.
If you act quickly, however, this new offer could make the dream affordable.
Tuscany’s regional authorities have announced they will pay people up to €30,000 to relocate to mountain towns with dwindling populations.
Here’s what the scheme involves and who is eligible to apply.
How to get paid €30,000 to move to Tuscany
Across Italy, rural towns and villages are experiencing a population crisis.
As residents move to cities for better job opportunities, small communities are left with swathes of abandoned houses and stagnant economies.
Recently, local councils have come up with various inventive solutions for boosting their resident numbers including selling off properties for as little as €1.
In Tuscany, authorities have opted to pay people to take up residency in struggling communities.
With the new scheme, called 'Residency in the mountains 2024', applicants will receive between €10,000 and €30,000 to buy a house.
It must, however, be in a mountain town with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants - of which there are 119 in Tuscany.
In addition, the financial contribution cannot exceed 50 per cent of the cost of the purchase and renovation of the property.
The Tuscan mountains are "territories of unique beauty with villages to be rediscovered which, however, suffer from depopulation,” Stefania Saccardi, Tuscany’s regional vice president, said.
“Deciding to live in one of these municipalities is therefore a challenge and an opportunity, especially for young people, and the chance for a new life choice."
Who is eligible for the grant?
The caveat is that there are strict conditions on who is eligible to apply for the grant.
Applicants have to be Italian citizens or citizens of another European Union state, or non-EU citizens holding a residence permit lasting no less than 10 years.
They must also be registered as resident in an Italian town or city but not be living in a mountain community (as categorised by the Italian National Institute of Statistics).
Applications can be made using the online form on the Tuscany Region website and must be submitted by 1pm CET on 27 July.
