As season five of Emily in Paris hits screens, it revives a well-worn fantasy: the perfect Italian village, far from the hustle and bustle, timeless, self-contained and untouched by mass tourism, set among green hills, sheep pastures and olive groves. More than a few have imagined starting over somewhere like the fictional “Solitano.”
While Solitano exists only on screen, Radicondoli is very real and more than happy to welcome newcomers.
Located in the heart of Tuscany, around 40 minutes from Siena and an hour from Florence, Radicondoli is actively seeking to reverse decades of depopulation. Once home to 3,000 people, the village now has just 996 inhabitants, and over a fifth of its houses are empty. Like many Italian towns, its population began shrinking in the 1950s when younger generations left for cities in search of work. Today, local officials say that there are three times as many deaths as births each year.
In an attempt to breathe new life into the streets, cafés, and schools, Radicondoli launched an incentive scheme in 2023, offering up to €20,000 to individuals willing to purchase and reside in the village, along with an extra €6,000 to offset costs related to heating and transportation.
This year, the town has gone a step further. Until the end of 2026, new residents who choose to rent rather than buy will have half of their rent covered for the first two years.
Mayor Francesco Guarguaglini told CNN that the results so far have been encouraging but insufficient. “We’ve earmarked more than €400,000 this year to support new home purchases and rentals,” he explains, “alongside other measures such as financial aid for students, commuters using public transport, and residents subscribing to green energy.”
He adds that the scheme differs from Italy’s well-known one-euro house initiatives in that properties in Radicondoli retain real value. Homes typically sell for between €50,000 and €100,000, are generally in good condition, and feature exposed wooden beams, stone walls, and traditional brickwork. He says that renovation costs rarely exceed €10,000.
In practical terms, this means that a one- or two-bedroom apartment in the historic centre could cost as little as €30,000 once incentives are taken into account. Larger properties on the outskirts include former merchants’ palazzi and farmhouses surrounded by olive groves and vineyards.
The only condition is commitment: buyers must live in Radicondoli for at least ten years and renters for four.
“Since launching the programme, we’ve supported 23 property purchases and welcomed around 60 new residents,” says Guarguaglini. Most of the new residents are Italian, but a handful of foreigners, including Belgians, have also settled in the village.
The town is open to tourism, too. New residents are permitted to offer short-term rentals, and entrepreneurs can access financial aid for renovations and rental loans.
Dating back to the 14th century, Radicondoli was once a hub for wool production and still retains its cobbled streets, terracotta roofs, and medieval walls. Local cuisine includes ribollita, handmade pasta with wild boar or porcini mushrooms, and traditional cured meats. Visitors can explore the historic centre, attend folkloric festivals, or hike or cycle through the surrounding countryside. They can also visit the local energy museum.
Radicondoli is also “green.” The village uses locally produced geothermal energy and receives royalties from a national energy provider. “It is quite a wealthy village,” notes Guarguaglini, “despite many people having left.”
Across Italy, the challenge remains vast. It is estimated that the country has around 8.5 million unused homes. Tuscany is now offering between €10,000 and €30,000 to people willing to move to villages with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, while Sicily and Sardinia are continuing to sell properties at symbolic prices on the condition that buyers renovate them within a fixed timeframe.
