Italian Ghost Towns Are Turning Abandoned Buildings Into Alluring Airbnbs
In a bid to revive rural communities, the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Airbnb are creating dreamy getaways out of historic buildings.
In a bid to revive rural communities, the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Airbnb are creating dreamy getaways out of historic buildings.
With the coronavirus threatening city life, renowned Italian architects such as Stefano Boeri are suggesting a reevaluation of abandoned villages. The Italian Villages project aims to do exactly that.
Launched by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities in collaboration with Airbnb three years ago, the project brings Italian designers and artists to rural villages, resulting in four stunning holiday homes. Each of them is set in a historic dwelling and contains a site-specific art installation, and all proceeds go directly to the local community.
Only 10 people live in the crumbling town of Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy. The Italian Villages project aims to revitalize rural ghost towns across the country. To ensure that funds are reinvested in the community, Airbnb does not take a commission on bookings of redeveloped buildings.
Piotr Niepsuj
Casa Cuoco in Civitacampomarano, Molise
The latest addition, a renovated palazzo in Molise (the region that made headlines for paying people $770 a month to move there), opened pre-COVID-19 and is now ready for its first guests.
EligoStudio, a young architecture firm from Milan founded by Alberto Nespoli and Domenico Rocca, transformed the rooms into monochrome spaces, using soft colors such as light blue and powder pink. "We wanted the design to be surprising," says Federica Sala, curator of the project. "We figured our guests would expect a rustic-chic interior. By opting for modern furniture and just one color for the walls and ceilings instead, we created an immersive experience."
Civitacampomarano is a hilltop hamlet with fewer than 300 inhabitants.
Claudia Zalla
Once the house of Vincenzo Cuoco, a 19th-century writer and politician, the two-bedroom apartment is located in the medieval center.
Claudia Zalla
See the full story on Dwell.com: Italian Ghost Towns Are Turning Abandoned Buildings Into Alluring Airbnbs
