An island in Italy is attracting new residents, preferably foreigners, who want to live near the Mediterranean for free for three months.
The celebrated town of Ollolai in the center of the island of Sardinia, popular with millionaires and Hollywood stars, has launched the “Work in Ollolai” program to attract remote workers and offer them free housing.
The first foreigner has just arrived to take part in the three-month free accommodation program, which is the maximum stay limit for non-Europeans without a visa.
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This is Clarence Partis, a software designer who left her home in Los Angeles to work in a Mediterranean house in Sardinia without paying a cent.
In an interview with CNBC, Partis said he was looking for an opportunity to live and work in a place surrounded by nature and tranquility; His original plan was one month, but he reconsidered the three-month offering of the Work from Ollolai program.
“I felt like I needed a change of scenery, but not a tourist one, but surrounded by nature, fresh air, mountains and beautiful beaches, where I could find more solace, peace and a quieter lifestyle.”
Like Partis, the temporary residents will live in Mediterranean huts that once belonged to farmers and shepherds.
Although the houses are simple and have undergone some renovations by the government, they have high-speed internet, so guests do not have to suffer during their working hours.
Likewise, there are no living expenses other than air transport, food and tickets, as tax payments for municipal services, rent and utility bills are covered.
If you want to change your life or give a little twist to the monotony and are a remote worker, you must submit your temporary relocation application to the Ollolai Plan before the end of December 2023.
The application can be found on the mayor’s website.
Although Ollolai’s plan calls for “living for free” in the Italian city, there is a clause that must be fulfilled. New temporary residents must demonstrate that they are remote workers in fields such as technology, media, finance, real estate, architecture, artists, writers, musicians, scientists or teachers.
Once they have completed their stay, at the end of the three months they must submit a work, such as a conference, an essay, a documentary or a research paper, that contributes to the enrichment of the city.
Sardinia is one of the most important islands in Italy for tourism; However, the city was not a place to live for many original residents who chose to relocate, which has led to obvious depopulation and a stagnant economy.
According to the Ollolai census, the population has increased from 2,250 to 1,300 in the last 100 years. It is claimed that people move to work and live in places closer to the coasts where tourism abounds. And that is a preferred source of income.
Like Ollolai, several rural areas and towns have run out of residents in recent years, and governments have put houses up for sale for as little as 1 euro to avoid running out of residents, or promote small towns as destinations for visits and long-term living.
