A look inside the dreamy Italian city Airbnb will pay you to live in for three months
How does three months off sound?
How about being paid to have three months off to live in a fairytale village in south Italy, where you’re only expected to drink wine, grow local produce, cook Italian food, learn the language and mix with international visitors and locals alike?
Airbnb is putting a call-out for four international citizens who want to do just that.
Their project is dubbed the ‘Italian Sabbatical’, a project that will see the four lucky chosen ones become a “temporary citizen” in the picturesque south Italian village of Grottole for three months to “experience authentic rural life in Italy”.
If you’re chosen, you’ll experience the culture and also volunteer for the local non-profit organisation, Wonder Grottole, whose goal is to revitalise the town centre.
All accommodation is paid for, and you’ll receive €900 per month from Airbnb on top of that to cover expenses.
The tiny village has only some 300 inhabitants – but with more than 600 homes unoccupied, the village is under threat of fading into obscurity.
The project isn’t a new thing for Airbnb. The short-stay rental platform has been branching out and experimenting with how it can work with languishing villages and neglected cities by breathing new life into local economies.
Here’s a look into the idyllic Grottole:
Sounds like a dream. How do I sign up?
You need only fill in an application form at the bottom of the Italian Sabbatical website. Applications are open until 17 February, 11:59pm Central European Time.
It’s evident that the candidates will be selected for their ability to contribute to the local culture and economy, with questions that enquire into your reasons for applying.
“What’s your story and why are you ready to move to Grottole and take a sabbatical?”
“How would you contribute to local community and make a difference in Grottole?”
“Tell us what your passions are — Are you an artist? Are you a musician? Do you have arts or craft skills? Do you have any other related experience, e.g. cooking skills, a passion for photography, etc.?”
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