Family selected to live for a year in a restored ‘1 Euro’ Sicilian home

A French family of five were welcomed by the villagers of Sambuca in Sicily on July 2, after being selected to become temporary residents of the village to help revitalize the community.  As part of the 1 Euro House campaign, the family with three children will live in a restored designer historic home and Host guests on Airbnb for one year.

The Bordeaux couple, Eva and Mathieu, were selected from almost 100,000 applications to relocate to Sicily, become part of the community and welcome guests into their bookable home. With the newfound flexibility to live and work remotely, Mathiue also plans to continue with his job in finance in the idyllic Italian village while Eva wants to organize yoga classes for the local community.

Speaking during a welcoming event organized by the local community, Mayor Leonardo Ciaccio explained what the arrival of the French family means for the village.

“It gives me great joy to see how this campaign, and this family, are breathing new life into our village. We are so proud of the restored home – it’s a gem of a building in the center of our village. And seeing a young family move into it personifies the renaissance of Sambuca. We are sure you will be amazing hosts and neighbors.”

Mayor of Sambuca, Leonardo Ciaccio

Eva, an Airbnb Superhost explained: “This really is a dream come true and we couldn’t believe it when we heard we’d been selected. To get this incredible welcome from the local community makes things extra special and we can’t wait to settle into the beautiful restored home and get to know everyone in Sambuca properly. We’re also really excited to share our enthusiasm for this magical village with our first guests.”

The three-story traditional home is located in Sambuca which was made famous thanks to its recent “1 Euro House” campaign. Like many Italian villages, Sambuca is suffering from a declining population so it launched the “1 Euro House” campaign in 2019 to promote cultural heritage, encourage international investment and appeal to a younger demographic to restore the charm of the once bustling village. 

Airbnb worked with the Italian architectural firm Studio Didea to transform the home using materials and colors in harmony with the local landscape. Blending contemporary design with hand-made and local artisanal elements, the structure is typical of Sicily’s charming architecture. 

The spacious building spans three floors, with plenty of room to work remotely and to host. Airbnb guests will be made comfortable in the luxuriously appointed master bedroom with private bathroom during their stays and Mattie and Eva. They have already received their first booking for the home with stays taking place beginning August 1. Anyone wishing to book a stay with the family can do so here.