A rural village on the Italian island of Sardinia is trying to lure Americans ready to leave the U.S. following President-elect Donald Trump's victory by offering homes for 1 euro ($1.06).
The village of Ollolai located in central Sardinia is making the tempting offer on its website for would-be expats "to start building your European escape in the stunning paradise of Sardinia."
"Nestled in pristine nature, surrounded by incredible cuisine, and immersed in a community with ancient traditions, in the rare Earth's Blue Zone, Ollolai is the perfect destination to reconnect, recharge, and embrace a new way of life," the website states.
"Whether you're searching for a house to renovate or a move-in-ready home, we'll guide you through every step of your journey, from arranging viewings to finding contractors and navigating the necessary bureaucracy."
Ollolai is most famous as the birthplace of the late Franco Columbu, a two-time Mr. Olympia bodybuilding champion and close friend of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor and former Republican California governor who was named an honorary citizen of the village.
Mayor Francesco Columbu, no relation to the bodybuilder, told CNN the website was specifically created to attract American voters in the wake of the presidential election. He said he loves the U.S. and is convinced Americans are the best people to help revive his community.
"We just really want, and will focus on, Americans above all," he said. "We can't, of course, ban people from other countries to apply; but Americans will have a fast-track procedure. We are betting on them to help us revive the village."
Columbu told CNN the village is offering three tiers of accommodation: free temporary homes, homes that cost $1.06 in need of renovations, and move-in ready homes that cost up to 100,000 euros ($105,964).
He said the town hall's website has been flooded recently with 38,000 requests for information on houses, mostly coming from the U.S.
"Of course, we can't specifically mention the name of one U.S. president who just got elected, but we all know that he's the one from whom many Americans want to get away from now and leave the country," Columbo said, referring to Trump.
"We have specifically created this website now to meet U.S. postelections relocation needs. The first edition of our digital nomad scheme which launched last year was already solely for Americans."
In the past century, Ollolai's population has shrunk from 2,250 to 1,300 as many families left during tough economic times in search of work, CNN reported. Over the past few years, the population has further dropped to barely 1,150 residents.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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