Cinquefrondi, the cocovid free ’Italian city that sells dollar houses

(CNN) – The pandemic has ended many travel experiences, including the rush to buy Italian homes at bargain prices, but now that some places are getting out of restrictions, the dollar buck in the country seems to be back.

And the offers seem to be better than ever.

Cinquefrondi, a community in the southern region of Calabria, considers itself a “covid free village” after escaping the ravages of the virus, and hopes that this state will sweeten the appeal of the houses it is putting on the market for a euro, or a little more than a dollar.

The objective, like other destinations that make similar offers, is to reverse a depopulation trend caused by younger people leaving in search of work. At Cinquefrondi, the mayor, Michele Conia, considers the task so serious that it has given him a code name: “Operation Beauty.”

“Finding new owners for the many abandoned houses we have is a key part of the [misión] of Operation Beauty that I have launched to recover degraded and lost parts of the city, ”Conia told CNN.

“I grew up in Germany, where my parents had emigrated, then I returned to save my land. Too many people have flown out of here for decades, leaving empty houses. We cannot succumb to resignation. “

Despite being surrounded by the natural beauty of the rugged Aspromonte National Park and overlooking the Ionian and Tyrrhenian coasts, the Cinquefrondi urban landscape is marked by ramshackle houses, says Conia.

“We soar between the refreshing hills and two warm seas, a pristine river runs nearby and the beaches are just a 15-minute drive away. But an entire district of my city lies abandoned, with empty houses that are also unstable and risky. “

READ: They bought a $ 1 house in Italy, then covid-19 attacked

Time limit

Cinquefrondi has reported zero cases of coronavirus among its residents and is located within a region that has had one of the lowest levels of contagion in Italy.

Across the country, Italy has begun to open borders to visitors after making significant progress in reducing infection.

The housing deal here works a little differently compared to other cheap deals in Italy.

While all other cities that sell houses for one euro require a down payment of up to 5,000 euros (US $ 5,635) that the buyer loses if they do not renovate the house within the next three years, Cinquefrondi simply requests a policy insurance fee. annual of 250 euros until the works are finished.

New owners are only subject to a € 20,000 fine in the unlikely event that they do not complete the redesign within three years. In other cities that offer similar schemes, new buyers tend to complete jobs before the deadline, within a year or two.

“We are only asking for some sort of certainty once a new buyer commits to the project. The policy fee is very low and the cost of a redesign here is 10,000 to 20,000 euros, given that the homes are cozy and small. ”

The one euro houses available are approximately 40-50 square meters wide, a size that shortens the renovation time. They are located in the old historical part of Cinquefrondi. Some even have a small balcony with a view.

LOOK: PHOTOS | The Italian town that sells houses for a dollar

Cinquefrondi is known as the “City of the Zipper”, as it stretches between the Ionian coast and the Calabrian Tyrrhenian at the tip of Italy’s boot. It has stunning views of the UNESCO-listed Aeolian Islands, which are easily accessible from a nearby port.

Its unusual name in Italian means the “five villages”, which refer to the first settlements of Greek and Byzantine origin that were united into one community during the Middle Ages. Remains of the city’s old fortifications can be seen in its arched alleys.

Cinquefrondi has suffered natural calamities and foreign invasions, but has survived for centuries, protected from pirate raids by its elevation on top of the hill above the seas.

Glorious traces of past civilizations are everywhere. Ancient Greek words survive in the local dialect and in the names of places, streets and arches.

‘Last Greeks’

Cinquefrondi was a strategic place of Greek expansion during the 8th and 7th centuries BC. C. and then it was colonized by other conquerors. City elders still use old terms in Spanish and French when conversing.

The bucolic landscape of olive groves is dotted with ruins of Greek fortresses, an ancient Greek strategic road built to connect the two seas, a Roman villa, destroyed monasteries, and pagan temples.

Locals are proudly called the “last Greeks”.

“It is a land of cultural contamination and cross civilizations,” says Conia. “A melting pot. We are welcoming people. My office is always open to anyone who knocks on the door. ”

The city has recently undergone some improvements to its infrastructure. Roads, squares, old fountains, public parks, and even a church have been lovingly restored and painted in rainbow colors.

A renovated district known as “The Future Hamlet” now hosts social and cultural events, while there is a symbolic “ladder of rights” to remind visitors that locals have embraced the rule of law in a land often riddled with crime and banditry.

The wild Aspromonte National Park offers impressive hiking trails through dry riverbeds, rocky peaks with fossil spots, and cavities where Italian outlaws used to hide.

The houses currently on the market for one euro belonged to farmers, shepherds, artisans and tanners. There are currently around a dozen available, but there are potentially more than 50 empty homes that Conia plans to deliver to the new owners.

“If we get high demand, I can expropriate all the other buildings that have been empty for decades and that the former owners are nowhere to be found.”

Completely renovated houses are also available at low prices.

READ: This Italian town, which has been underwater since 1994, could surface again

‘Men of Thorns’

Cinquefrondi is a sleepy and off-the-radar place, unknown even to most Italians. Its old abandoned districts are partially covered by lush vegetation.

The city is a maze of layered streets and pastel-colored houses connected by narrow alleys, arched hallways, and spiral stone steps where chunks of crumbling old walls protrude.

Flowers, ferns, moss, and small palms grow on its walls, green window frames, hinged wooden doors, and balconies of forgotten homes. In its crowded streets, rusty aristocratic portals are juxtaposed with sheets and clothes hanging to dry in the sun.

Unusual folklore and picturesque festivals are among Cinquefrondi’s good points.

The key event is the religious procession of the so-called barefoot “spinati” or “men of thorns” dedicated to Saint Rocco, who wear huge bundles of bell-shaped branches on their heads that symbolize crowns of thorns that make them look like walking trees .

Macabre funeral events are held at the end of the picturesque carnival local to say goodbye to the festival.

Fun is guaranteed, says Conia. Food fairs and festivals take place throughout the summer. Every night there is a special event.

There are farmers fairs offering creative cuisine of potatoes and sweet pepper dishes, craft fairs showcasing handmade chairs and pots, and hunter fairs where succulent boar lunches are served to guests.

It is a gastronomic paradise.

READ: We bought a 1 euro house in Italy. This is what happened next

Among Cinquefrondi’s main gourmet specialties are spicy reddish salami ‘nduja made with tons of chili, cold sausage soppressata with huge chunks of lard, and a special type of pasta called struncatura made from leftover wheat and flour served with olives, breadcrumbs and anchovies.

Desserts include zeppole donuts made with potatoes and sugar, and handmade twisted nacatole cookies.

For more information about the houses offered, send an email to: [email protected]

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