If you’ve ever dreamt of spending your days stuffing your face with pizza while knocking back hearty reds in the European countryside, look no further than the Italian region of Molise.
A dwindling population and lack of employment opportunities have led President Donato Toma to announce a new initiative whereby the coastal region will pay €700 (AU$1,100) a month to anyone who wants to live in one of the 136 villages spread throughout the gorgeous countryside. Along with a monthly wage, new residences will be expected to open a business and stay in the region for a minimum of three years.
Devised by regional councillor Antonio Tedesco, the “Active Residence Income” scheme hopes to increase the general population (currently around 300,000 people) while creating an infrastructure for future generations.
“If we had offered funding, it would have been yet another charity gesture,” Toma said in a report by The Guardian. “We wanted to do more; we wanted people to invest here. They can open any sort of activity: a bread shop, a stationery shop, a restaurant, anything. It’s a way to breathe life into our towns while also increasing the population.”
While aimed at young couples and families, anyone is open to apply for this seachange and help revitalise the struggling region.
If this sounds like the ideal way to spend the next three years of your life, you can look out for the bulletin to be posted on the local council’s website here in the coming days that’ll have all the information you need to apply.
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