This Italian Region Will Pay You €100,000 to Move There — But There’s a Catch
Italy is at it again with tempting relocation schemes. You might remember the €1 house craze that drew dreamers from around the world. Now, the northern region of Trentino is upping the ante and offering up to €100,000 to anyone willing to move in and breathe life back into abandoned homes.
Sounds dreamy, right? A slice of the Dolomites, ski resorts nearby, vineyards down the road. But naturally, there are strings attached.
How It Works
The program splits the funds into €20,000 for purchasing a property and €80,000 for renovations, covering up to 40 percent of the total costs. Trentino has budgeted €10 million for the initiative over the next two years, enough to help at least 100 people move in and start renovations.
Renovations are capped at €200,000, with no more than €120,000 of that coming from your own pocket. That rule prevents buyers from turning these modest Alpine homes into luxury villas that don’t fit the local character.
But before you start planning your Italian farmhouse Pinterest board, know this: you’ll need to commit. Whoever takes the grant has to live in the house (or rent it long-term to a local) for at least 10 years. No short-term rentals. No quick flips. Break the rules and you’ll have to pay the grant money back.
Where You’d Live
The final list of 33 eligible towns will be released soon, but all of them are facing depopulation. Places like Val di Non, Val di Sole, Vallagarina, and Val di Fassa (pictured below), gorgeous valleys where life can be stunning but also a little more complicated, thanks to limited services and long drives for essentials.
These are tight-knit, traditional communities, many with dwindling populations and shuttered schools. The grants are about keeping entire towns alive.
Who Can Apply
The program is open to Italian residents and Italians living abroad. But there are restrictions:
- You can’t be under 45 and already living in the region (the idea is to bring in newcomers).
- You can’t buy more than three properties (sorry, no collecting entire villages).
- Renovations are capped at €200,000, to keep homes consistent with the local look and feel.
As Nicola Teofilo, a real estate writer at Immobiliare News, explained: “These are territories that, while maintaining a strong cultural and landscape identity, have seen a progressive decrease in residents. Many of these villages are located in mountain or valley contexts, where daily life can be more complex due to the distance from the main services.”
Why Now
This isn’t just a Trentino experiment. The program is part of a larger federal fund launched in 2024 to support towns with fewer than 5,000 residents, many of which are struggling economically as younger generations move away.
Other regions across Italy may follow with similar incentives. But for now, if the idea of restoring a crumbling Alpine home and fully committing to life in the mountains excites you, Trentino might be your chance.
Now, if you’re curious what life is like in another dramatic mountain region, check out my video on Meteora, Greece, which is home to stunning monasteries perched on towering rock formations and villages tucked into the valleys below.
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