Discover Bisaccia, Italy: A Unique Revival of Rural Charm
VP Kamala Harris takes questions in town hall with radio host Charlamagne tha God. Watch CNN
Homes for sale: Bisaccia, a rural town in Italy’s southern Campania region is the latest to join the wave of communities trying to reverse a depopulation trend by selling off crumbling houses for one euro, or little more than a dollar.Joint project: Unlike other towns and villages offering deals for people committing to one-off renovations, Bisaccia’s officials say its tightly clustered architecture lends itself to more communal projects and wants groups of friends or big families to buy multiple properties.Common entrances: ‘We face a very particular situation here,’ the town’s deputy mayor, Francesco Tartaglia, says. ‘The abandoned [area] spreads throughout the most ancient part of the village. Forsaken houses are clustered together, one next to the other along the same roads. Some even share a common entrance.’Pampered visitors: ‘Bisaccia is dubbed the ‘genteel town’ because, despite the hardship, its people have always been respectable, welcoming, hard-working and resilient,’ says Tartaglia, the mayor. ‘Newcomers here are pampered and taken care of. We want this place to shine again.’View point: The town’s belvedere viewpoint offers a bucolic vista over sanctuaries and ruins of Roman villas. The surrounding countryside is filled with Bronze Age caves and catacombs.Left behind: Local authorities own all the empty houses abandoned years ago by residents who fled in search of a brighter future.Great location: Bisaccia is well placed for spectacular day trips across southern Italy. It straddles the border of three regions: Campania, Basilicata and Puglia. Naples and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Matera are both nearby.Fixer upper: Most of the homes will need extensive renovations before they’re habitable.Maze of streets: A labyrinth of alleys made of huge, uneven moss-covered cobblestone steps connects a series of arcaded stone portals, adorned with vaults and tunnels with dangling ferns.
