Naro in Sicily is the latest Italian destination to offer homes for as little as €1, giving buyers from Italy and abroad an unusual opportunity to own property in a historic town while helping restore buildings that have been left empty.
The medieval town in the province of Agrigento, in southwestern Sicily, has joined the growing number of Italian communities using ultra-low property prices to attract new residents, encourage the restoration of abandoned buildings and address long-term population decline. The scheme also forms part of a wider effort to bring more activity and visitors back to historic areas.
The initiative has been approved by the Comune di Naro, the town’s local government authority, and is open to both Italian citizens and foreign nationals who meet the requirements for buying and maintaining a property. Interested buyers can apply through the online Case 1 Euro Naro platform, which is available in several languages and explains the steps involved in the process.
The €1 price, however, is only the beginning of the financial commitment. These properties are not ready-to-move-in homes, and prospective buyers need to be prepared for renovation costs that can be many times higher than the purchase price.
Listings viewed by Euronews Travel showed properties described as needing renovation. One three-bedroom property overlooking Naro’s historic urban area was also listed as requiring an inspection. The condition of individual buildings is therefore an important consideration for anyone thinking about making an offer.
Buyers must also pay the costs associated with the purchase, including notary fees, registration charges and cadastral taxes. Once a property has been acquired, the owner is responsible for preparing a renovation project and bringing the building up to the required safety standards. Depending on the property, the work may also need to comply with landscape protection rules and urban planning requirements.
I just bought my third 1€ property in Mussomeli, Sicily 🇮🇹📈 https://t.co/FEAeBO0w83
— George Laing (@George_Laing_) June 4, 2026
There may also be a deadline for completing the renovation, meaning the scheme is better suited to buyers who have the financial resources and time to manage a building project rather than people simply looking for a cheap holiday home.
The appeal of Naro is not limited to the property prices. The town has a historic centre with a distinctive architectural character, Baroque buildings and the Chiaramontano Castle, while its position in the Agrigento area places it within reach of Sicily’s southern coast and the better-known attractions around Agrigento.
Naro has also developed an unusual cultural attraction from a difficult chapter in its recent history. Following a landslide in 2005, young artists transformed the facades of some damaged and abandoned buildings, creating the MAN open-air museum. The project turned parts of the town’s neglected architecture into an outdoor setting for contemporary art.
Another surviving landmark is the Golden Gate, or Porta d’Oro, whose history dates back to the 13th century. With its pointed arch and stone battlements, the gate was once part of a larger system of seven entrances surrounding the medieval town.
Food is another reason Naro offers a different experience from Sicily’s more heavily visited destinations. Local specialities include cassata, the well-known Sicilian dessert made with sponge cake, ricotta cream and chocolate chips, as well as pasta reale, an almond-based sweet traditionally flavoured with vanilla and decorated with candied fruit. The history of pasta reale is linked to the Arab influence on Palermo and Sicily’s wider culinary traditions.
Visitors can also find familiar Sicilian street foods such as arancina and cannoli, alongside local versions and specialities associated with Naro. For travellers interested in exploring Sicily beyond its busiest coastal destinations, the town offers a combination of medieval architecture, local food and contemporary art within an inland setting.
For anyone attracted by the idea of buying a Sicilian home for €1, Naro’s scheme is therefore less about finding a bargain property and more about taking on a restoration project. The headline price may be just €1, but the real investment begins after the sale, with renovation, taxes, professional fees and regulatory requirements all forming part of the commitment.
That distinction is important for overseas buyers in particular. The scheme may provide a route into property ownership in a historic Sicilian community, but the €1 figure should be viewed as the entry price rather than the total cost of owning a home in Naro.
