A quaint Italian village is offering tourists free week-long stays this summer.
San Giovanni in Molise is home to an array of empty houses due to depopulation, and it's hoping to attract visitors back following the coronavirus lockdown with the enticing offer of free accommodation.
The project, called "Regalati il Molise" (meaning "Give yourself Molise"), offers 40 one-week stays in three of San Giovanni's charming houses between July and September 2020, Primo Numero reported.
The aim is to bring life back to a largely undiscovered village where time seems to have stopped, with traditional squares and ancient buildings surrounded by beautiful scenery.
Two hours from Rome and Naples, San Giovanni is close to both the Adriatic coast and the Apennine mountains, but as young people have increasingly emigrated for work, its population has dwindled.
