Foreigners can live for free on an Italian island: what do you need for this?

Clarese Partis, a 39-year-old software designer from Los Angeles, California, has always dreamed of working in an unusual place, away from the crowds. So when she was offered this opportunity, she jumped at it. How it all turned out, the publication told CNBC.

Photo: IStock

Partis flew to the Sardinian village of Ollolai, Italy, last week for free accommodation paid for by the local municipality. This is part of a program designed for digital nomads who want to temporarily move to work in the center of the island, among farmers and herding sheep.

You can apply to live on the island by link.

She's the first digital nomad to come here, and already she says the program has changed her life.

“I’ve been traveling as a digital nomad for the last two years, most recently in Zanzibar,” says Partis. “But when the opportunity arose to come to Ollolai, I gladly decided to give it a try.”

“I felt like I needed to move,” she said. “Surrounded by nature, fresh air, mountains, beautiful beaches, where I could find more peace, quiet and a slower lifestyle.”

The small village of Ollolai

Ollolai is located in the wilderness of Barbagia, far from the VIP coast of Sardinia, where old traditions have been preserved and bandits once lived in the caves.

Over time, local residents moved elsewhere in search of a brighter future, devastating the ancient area, which is now covered in street paintings depicting rural life.

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In the last century, Ollolai's population has declined from 2 to 250, with only a few children born each year.

In 2018, the village adopted a well-publicized measure to revitalize the old area: selling crumbling houses for 1 euro.

“It was a great success - many foreigners bought and restored dozens of abandoned houses,” said Mayor Francesco Columbu. — Now, after investing in high-speed Internet, with the help of a new project "Work from Ollolai" we want to transform our village into a digital nomad hub.”

Free accommodation for remote workers

Ollolaja City Hall has allocated 20 euros ($000) to accommodate 21 remote workers from around the world, who will be able to live in the village on a rotating basis over the next two years.

Online applications for participation in the competition are accepted until December. Those chosen will be able to live in the village free of charge for up to three months - this is the maximum period during which tourists can stay in Italy without a visa.

Partis currently plans to stay in Italy for just one month, although she said she may consider extending her stay in Sardinia later.

The next worker will come from Singapore, says Veronica Matta, head of the local cultural association Sa Mata, which is running the program with the mayor's office. "Work from Ollolai".

“We're expecting a lot of Americans,” she said. “Our goal is to bring Ollolai to life with new people from different cultures and languages ​​who can share their experiences with the residents.”

Budget funds allocated from the mayor's treasury will be used to rent housing from local families for digital nomads at a price of about 350 euros ($373) per month for a furnished two-room apartment. Utilities, bills and city hall taxes will also be paid, but not transportation and airfare, Matta said.

The houses, which once belonged to families of shepherds and farmers who slept on the ground floor with their animals, have an office and high-speed Internet.

Employees will be invited to local fairs and festivals, Matta said. Partis said she was invited to a party in the town square the night before.

“I had to give my landlord a symbolic one euro to rent the house,” says Partis. “The locals are so warm and welcoming, and it’s not because they want to sell you something like in tourist places.”

“I love interacting with the people here,” she said.

Mutual assistance

Winners can stay in Sardinia for free - as long as they agree to give something back to the local community before leaving, Matta says.

“It’s not a free vacation,” Matta says. “They must have experience working as a digital nomad and leave behind a specific piece of work at the end of their stay - be it a conference, an essay, a research paper or a documentary.”

Partis plans to give a lecture on what it means to be a digital nomad in general and in Ollolai specifically, she said.

Matta emphasized that “professional remote workers from all fields are invited: technology, media, finance, real estate, architecture, as well as artists, writers, musicians, scientists and teachers.”

But this is provided that they leave behind a “charge of knowledge” that enriches the culture of the village, she said.

More beautiful than expected

Partis already loves his new home in the historic district. The house has two bedrooms and a beautiful panoramic balcony overlooking a pristine valley and forest, where she says she finds inspiration while working.

For now, she says, she is balancing between work and the desire to see all the sights of Sardinia.

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“I'm still getting used to it. There are days when I travel, exploring beautiful places around, and other days when I sit at home and do work,” she said.

She says a typical day in Ollolai is similar to her life in other places: meditation with yoga in the morning, then work, then a walk in the fresh air and a trip to the coast or mountains to enjoy the peace and views.

“I don’t drink, so the bar is not my main hangout,” she says. “Instead, I like to go to the farmers market to buy fresh ingredients like truffles and make pasta and gnocchi with pesto.” The food is absolutely amazing."

According to her, Ollolai was more beautiful than she expected, and the friendliness of its people surprised her.

“Sardinia has so much to offer. I’m glad I have enough time to immerse myself in the island and its culture,” she said.

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