The Times. Victoria Brzezinski. 20 March 2022
Finding an unknown corner in one of our favourite countries is the holy grail for tourists. For locals seeking to attract visitors it’s a different matter. Which is why the hilltop town of Sambuca di Sicilia, a little over an hour’s drive south of Palermo, but far off the radar for most holiday-makers, is trying to whip up some enthusiasm and put itself on the map.
First of all it offered abandoned homes for sale at €1 a pop – the Sopranos actor Lorraine Bracco was among those who took advantage, snapping up a 200-year-old house with no electricity or running water. Now the council has enlisted Airbnb, which has its own newly renovated €1 house in Sambuca.
Last month it ran a dream-job competition: the winner will live rent-free in the house for a year, on the condition they let out the spare bedroom for nine months (they get to keep all of the rental income).
