Italy: This sunny southern town offered to pay people €30,000 to move there

Rome: Last year, a town in the south of Italy launched a scheme offering to pay people up to €30,000 to relocate there.

Presicce-Acquarica has been struggling with a declining population and an increasing number of abandoned homes.

To help lure new homeowners, the town promised grants to people who buy a house and register as residents of the town.

The scheme is now closed to applicants, but here’s how it worked.

Presicce-Acquarica – a municipality comprising the two towns of Presicce and Acquarica del Capo – lies at the southern tip of Italy’s Puglia region.

Like many small towns, it has been suffering a dwindling population as residents have relocated to cities in search of better job opportunities.

Last year, the town council launched a scheme to attract new homeowners with generous cash incentives.

To be eligible to apply, individuals or families had to move their official residency to the southern Italian town.

They were also required to invest in a house built before 1991, which is around 30 per cent of the town’s properties.

The surrounding countryside is filled with olive groves and the high quality oil produced from these trees has earnt the town its nickname of “city of green gold.”

The cost of the purchase would be subsidised by the grant provided by the town council. The financial aid could also be used to cover the cost of renovations.

A maximum of €30,000 was available for prospective homeowners.

The council was also offering incentives to help combat the town’s aging population. After just 60 births compared to 150 deaths last year, the town granted €1,000 for every newborn.

Located in the area known as the Salento, Presicce-Acquarica is designated as one of Italy’s most beautiful villages.

The streets of the historic centre are lined with ornate Baroque palazzi and the main square is graced by a lavishly decorated church.

The surrounding countryside is filled with olive groves and the high quality oil produced from these trees has earnt the town its nickname of “city of green gold.”

The turquoise waters of the Ionian Sea and the coastal towns of Gallipoli and Santa Maria di Leuca are just a short drive away.