Airbnb offers the possibility of living for free as a host in Sicily for one year.
Airbnb, the online short-term rental platform, is offering a one-year free stay in a newly renovated property in the small rural village of Sambuca in Sicily.
The winning contestant, who can bring up to three family members or friends with him, must rent one of the rooms in the house on Airbnb but he can keep the profits.
Awarded the title of “most beautiful Italian village” in 2016, Sambuca di Sicilia has around 6,000 inhabitants and is located around 80 km south of Palermo.
The once derelict property was purchased by Airbnb as part of Sambuca’s €1 Homes campaign, launched in 2018 to address the village’s declining population by promoting cultural heritage and sustainable tourism.
The campaign has breathed new life into the village which has grown into a multi-ethnic community, with 143 properties sold (by local authorities and individuals) to families from 38 countries around the world, Italian news agency ANSA reports.
Airbnb says the remodeled home “combines the needs of contemporary living with the charm of Sicilian architecture.”
The fully furnished three-story house is located near the Belvedere of Sambuca, which overlooks the Belìce Valley.
“The beauty of this initiative is that it gives new life to an abandoned heritage house in the heart of our village as well as a second chance to the person who will settle here,” the mayor of Sambuca told ANSA. di Sicilia, Leonardo Ciaccio. .
The mayor said the successful candidate should want to immerse themselves in the local culture, customs and language of the community, including participating in the grape harvest and olive picking.
The house will be available from June 30 and applicants should apply by February 18 via the Airbnb websitewhich contains all the details of the offer.
Applicants will be asked to attach a short essay describing how they would organize their life in Sicily and how they would see themselves as a host, “sharing a private room in your Sicilian home with guests from all over the world”.
Cover photo: Temple of Concordia, Agrigento, Sicily.
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