Sicilian mayor offers houses for 1 euro

By Nick Pisa in Rome, telegraph.co.uk, 03 Sep 2008

Vittorio Sgarbi, the controversial mayor of Salemi. The Sicilian is offering houses for 1 euro Photo: EPA

An eccentric Sicilian mayor has trumped Alistair Darling's efforts to reinvigorate the housing market - by offering properties for 1 Euro.

Vittorio Sgarbi, the controversial new first citizen of Salemi, came up with the idea as a way of revitalising the historic centre of the town. The drawback is many of the properties are barely standing and in dire need of renovation after being virtually destroyed by an earthquake in 1968. Among those said to have expressed an interest is former Genesis star Peter Gabriel and Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti - whose sister Milly used to be Sgarbi's colleague until he was sacked as councillor in Milan.

Sgarbi, an art critic and former Culture Minister in Silvio Berlusocni's government, is a regular on late night TV panels and is often at the centre of controversy because of his outspoken views. Debates he participates in regularly descend into chaos.

He told Corriere della Sera of his plan for Salemi and said:''We're thinking of people who have the sensibility and economic resources to embark on this adventure. In exchange for a token payment of one euro we will offer them one of these houses and ask that they undertake to restore them within two years while respecting their original characteristics. We have had alot of interest people are already booking up to come down here - my aim is to make Salemi the next Pantelleria.''

The tiny volcanic island of Pantelleria, off the coast of Sicily, is a popular celebrity haunt where previous visitors include Madonna and Naomi Campbell. However Corriere pointed out that ''a lot of the project has still to be sorted out, especially the bureaucracy.''

The idea was the brainchild of controversial photographer Olivero Toscani, whose campaigns using stick thin models have sparked outrage and who is Salemi's councillor for Creativity.

He said:''These houses abandoned for 40 years are like a heart pierced by a thorn - they are dangerous but they also represent a patrimony that is slowly dissolving away. We want to try and attract people back to the town or at least make some form of donation to try and help save an architectural environment that we are rapidly losing.''

Sgarbi was elected mayor of Salemi - population 11,436 in June - and the town is in eastern Sicily, close to Trapani and around 50 miles from Palermo, deep in Mafia country.

It is historically known for having been the place where Giuseppe Garibaldi announced the annexation of Sicily in May 1860 as part of the expedition of the Thousand, briefly making the town his headquarters and Italian capital - for one day - after his landing at Marsala. The town has been ruled by the Romans, Vandals and Goths and then the Arabs which gave it its current name of Salem (Peace).