<strong>A tale of two towns: </strong>Rieti in Lazio and Santa Fiora in Tuscany are trying to entice remote workers with deals offering to pay towards the rent of people who move there to telecommute.
A tale of two towns: Rieti in Lazio and Santa Fiora in Tuscany are trying to entice remote workers with deals offering to pay towards the rent of people who move there to telecommute.
Visit Lazio
<strong>Rieti: </strong>Not far from Rome, Rieti is a historic town on the Via Salaria salt route, one of the main highways of the Roman Empire. It's offering to pay 50% of the rent of anyone who moves there to work remotely.
Rieti: Not far from Rome, Rieti is a historic town on the Via Salaria salt route, one of the main highways of the Roman Empire. It's offering to pay 50% of the rent of anyone who moves there to work remotely.
Scopri La Sabina
<strong>Minimum stay:</strong> Anyone wanting to sign up for the Rieti deal must agree to stay for at least three months.
Minimum stay: Anyone wanting to sign up for the Rieti deal must agree to stay for at least three months.
Visit Lazio
<strong>Smart office: </strong>"Young people still keep fleeing to Rome in search of work so we've embarked on a mission to lure remote workers who will turn Rieti into their smart office and revitalize our city," says deputy mayor Daniele Sinibaldi.
Smart office: "Young people still keep fleeing to Rome in search of work so we've embarked on a mission to lure remote workers who will turn Rieti into their smart office and revitalize our city," says deputy mayor Daniele Sinibaldi.
Comune Rieti
<strong>Extended offer: </strong>The Rieti rental voucher scheme could be extended beyond six months, officials say.
Extended offer: The Rieti rental voucher scheme could be extended beyond six months, officials say.
Comune Rieti
<strong>Ruraly retreat: </strong>"Rents in town are in the range of €250 to €500," Sinibaldi says. "For €600 you can have an entire little villa in the peaceful countryside. Also, the voucher can be used in the entire territory of Rieti."
Ruraly retreat: "Rents in town are in the range of €250 to €500," Sinibaldi says. "For €600 you can have an entire little villa in the peaceful countryside. Also, the voucher can be used in the entire territory of Rieti."
Comune Rieti
<strong>Architectural mix: </strong>Rieta is a mix of medieval, Renaissance, baroque and modern architecture where monumental piazzas, fortified walls and aristocratic palaces are connected by narrow picturesque alleys.
Architectural mix: Rieta is a mix of medieval, Renaissance, baroque and modern architecture where monumental piazzas, fortified walls and aristocratic palaces are connected by narrow picturesque alleys.
Visit Lazio
<strong>'Freshwater Venice':</strong> Enclosed within protective medieval walls and turrets along the pristine Velino river, Rieti is locally known as "the freshwater Venice" for its network of streams, ponds, springs and luxuriant lake reserves.
'Freshwater Venice': Enclosed within protective medieval walls and turrets along the pristine Velino river, Rieti is locally known as "the freshwater Venice" for its network of streams, ponds, springs and luxuriant lake reserves.
Comune Rieti
<strong>Santa Fiora:</strong> This former mining community is a classic Tuscan hilltop town in the middle of wine country. It's also offering to pay 50% of the rent of anyone who moves there.
Santa Fiora: This former mining community is a classic Tuscan hilltop town in the middle of wine country. It's also offering to pay 50% of the rent of anyone who moves there.
Comune Santa Fiora
<strong>Cheap stays: </strong>Santa Fiora's deal offers up to €200 or 50% of the total rent for long-term stays of between two and six months. Local rentals are typically in the range of €300 to €500 monthly.
Cheap stays: Santa Fiora's deal offers up to €200 or 50% of the total rent for long-term stays of between two and six months. Local rentals are typically in the range of €300 to €500 monthly.
Comune Santa Fiora
<strong>Village experiment: </strong>To take advantage of the deal, potential tenants must prove that they will be actually working remotely, says mayor Federico Balocchi."It's not targeted at occasional touch-and-go tourists, but people who really want to experiment with our village life," he tells CNN.
Village experiment: To take advantage of the deal, potential tenants must prove that they will be actually working remotely, says mayor Federico Balocchi."It's not targeted at occasional touch-and-go tourists, but people who really want to experiment with our village life," he tells CNN.
Comune Santa Fiora
<strong>Flexible office: </strong>Balocchi says the aim is repopulate the town. "The goal is to incentivize people to move in and virtually work from here," he says. "We want Santa Fiora to become their flexible office. Each time a youth leaves to search for a job elsewhere a piece of our village is taken away."
Flexible office: Balocchi says the aim is repopulate the town. "The goal is to incentivize people to move in and virtually work from here," he says. "We want Santa Fiora to become their flexible office. Each time a youth leaves to search for a job elsewhere a piece of our village is taken away."
Comune Santa Fiora
<strong>Hearth and home:</strong> One of the properties that have recently been available for rent in Santa Fiora.
Hearth and home: One of the properties that have recently been available for rent in Santa Fiora.
Comune Santa Fiora
<strong>Staying connected:</strong> To improve its attractiveness to remote workers, Santa Fiora has recently been cabled with high-speed broadband connections.
Staying connected: To improve its attractiveness to remote workers, Santa Fiora has recently been cabled with high-speed broadband connections.
Comune Santa Fiora
<strong>Fall in love: </strong>Tenants are of course free to prolong their stay beyond six months, albeit at their own expense, with the mayor hoping that some might fall in love with the village and stay forever.
Fall in love: Tenants are of course free to prolong their stay beyond six months, albeit at their own expense, with the mayor hoping that some might fall in love with the village and stay forever.
Comune Santa Fiora
<strong>Baby bonus: </strong> Santa Fiora is so keen to reverse its population that it offers up to €1,500 for each newborn if anyone decides to take up residency and have a kid.
Baby bonus: Santa Fiora is so keen to reverse its population that it offers up to €1,500 for each newborn if anyone decides to take up residency and have a kid.
Comune Santa Fiora
<strong>Time to breathe: </strong>"That would be great if new families actually settled in," says Santa Fiora mayor Balocchi. "This place is perfect for remote workers who must balance jobs and kids. We have low kindergarten fees, free school shuttle buses and many activities for children to allow parents time to breathe."
Time to breathe: "That would be great if new families actually settled in," says Santa Fiora mayor Balocchi. "This place is perfect for remote workers who must balance jobs and kids. We have low kindergarten fees, free school shuttle buses and many activities for children to allow parents time to breathe."
Comune Santa Fiora