A new town in Sicily has launched a one-euro house program. The town of Naro , in the province of Agrigento in southwestern Sicily, is now accepting applications from potential buyers and sellers interested in joining the program to buy or sell a house for one euro.

For buyers, the homes must be used either as a main residence, a second home, a guest house or for a commercial activity or headquarters.

It is open to foreign nationals, such as Americans, as well as commercial companies and foundations.

Naro Joins Many Other One Euro House Programs

The one-euro house scheme is an urban regeneration program that makes headlines every time another municipality comes online. Most are in Italy, but there are some in France and Spain .

One of the first programs can be traced back to England. In 2015, a project was launched in Liverpool to offer dilapidated and derelict houses for just £1, provided that they were converted into proper homes. In many cases, it took tens of thousands of pounds to renovate the properties.

It is an increasingly successful attempt to arrest the decline of aging, dwindling populations, particularly as houses have emptied while people have headed to larger cities in search of work.

Buyers are obviously attracted to living in authentic villages and towns. Think stone buildings, cobbled streets, small arches and medieval courtyards. The price tag, which is real , albeit symbolic, represents just the first step in a promise you are giving the municipality to invest your time and money. In return, local regions can revitalize and move into the twenty-first century with new residents.

The town of Mussomeli, in Sicily, about a one-hour drive from Naro, was nearly abandoned a decade ago. According to The Times , its one-euro program has turned the provincial town around—even former residents are returning. Issues around poor quality of life (garbage, access, and culture) have been transformed by new EU funding, improved public transport connections to Sicily’s capital, Palermo, and the recruitment of new healthcare professionals from Argentina. To-date, 600 houses have been sold to foreigners, with 180 of those for €1. The town is now home to 18 different nationalities. New life has brought cafes, guesthouses, and visitors.

In Italy, the U.K.’s Independent newspaper found that renovation costs are still comparatively low, ranging from €20,000–50,000 ($23,000 to $58,000), depending on the property's size and condition. Realtors say potential applicants should consider spending €1,000 per square meter (roughly €100 per square foot) on renovations.

In France, the French National Housing Association (ANAH) estimated that the cost of many of these €1 homes would be about €80,000 ($93,000) for a house of around 100 square meters (1,076 square feet).

In addition to the one euro, there are legal fees, registration and land registry taxes, and buyers would have to prove they have the financial means and detailed renovation plans for the buildings in question. According to Idealista , the work must be insured or backed by a bank, and a clause requires it to be completed within a specified time frame. This latter point makes sense, as the goal is to renovate the villages and towns, not to pass empty, dilapidated homes into new hands, only to have them remain empty.

Naro is a twenty-minute drive to the nearest beach and about an hour to the main southern coastline. It is a wine-growing area and has a strong agricultural community and heritage.

How Americans Can Live In Italy

For Americans who want to live in Italy, buying property does not, by itself, grant the right to reside there. U.S. citizens may visit Italy and the wider Schengen area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period without a visa, but they need an appropriate long-stay visa and residence permit to remain longer.

Until March 2025, Americans with Italian ancestry could potentially claim Italian citizenship by descent through a great-grandparent or more distant ancestor, provided they met the other legal requirements and could prove an unbroken line of citizenship.

Italy’s Decree-Law 36/2025 substantially restricted this route. For most new applicants born abroad, eligibility now generally requires an Italian parent or grandparent who holds—or held at the time of death—only Italian citizenship.

An alternative route may apply where an Italian parent lived in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring citizenship and before the applicant’s birth or adoption.

Otherwise, retirees or the financially independent can choose the Elective Residence visa if you have an annual income stream of around $35,250. This must come from rental earnings, a pension or some other private income. It cannot come from a salary or a job.

Alternatively, workers can choose Italy’s digital nomad visa. It is valid for one year, provided you’ve worked remotely for at least six months and have an annual income of about $32,000. You can apply for both visas at your local Italian consulate and, once in the country, you’d apply for a residence permit.

If you’re looking for other regions offering a similar one-euro program, Idealista has an updated map and details for many regions, such as Cammarata, Mussomeli and Troina . The Abruzzo region also provides grants.

Applicants can apply to Naro via https://case1euronaro.it/ , which is available in English and several other languages. The site is very helpful and takes buyers through the process, step by step.