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Swiss village plans to sell 'houses for one franc'

The Local
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Swiss village plans to sell 'houses for one franc'
The properties in Monti Scìaga are little more than stone walls. Photo: Indemini Town Council

A municipality in Switzerland’s Italian-speaking canton of Ticino is looking at selling off nine properties for the symbolic price of one Swiss franc (€0.90).

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The aim of the plan (here in Italian) is to breathe life back into the far-flung but picturesque hamlet of Monti Scìaga, right near the Italian border.

 
The Italian border is a virtual stone's throw from Monti Scìaga.
 
The local council wants to build a hut for hikers and cyclists while nine further properties could be up for grabs for one franc each if local building authorities sign off on the project this autumn.
 

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The catch

But there is a catch. The stone houses – or rustici as they are known locally – are little more than ruins, and anyone buying them would have to fully renovate them in line with local laws.

On the plus side, Monti Scìaga is hooked up to the water mains and offers views over the Val Veddasca and even down to Lake Maggiore.

The possible plan to sell off properties for next to nothing in Monti Scìaga is reminiscent of similar projects in Italy and Spain in recent years.

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