Pratariccia, Abandoned Italian Hilltop Village, for Sale on eBay
A hilltop village in Italy is up for sale on eBay after realtors could not find any buyers through traditional methods and channels.
Pratariccia, Italy is set in the foothills in the northern part of the country and is known for is exceptional views of the Casentino valley.
The village of Pratariccia has unfortunately been abandoned for the past 50 years after the village's population of farmers and shepherds left for factory jobs during Italy's economic boom in the middle of the last century.
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The old village is currently reportedly owned by a religious order who is seeking to raise money with the sale of the town.
"They tried and failed to sell the village through agencies for years but have got a lot of attention by putting Pratariccia on eBay and should get a result," Luca Santini, mayor of neighboring town Stia, told local media.
The $3.1 million asking price includes 25 cottages and eight hectares of land where wild animals frequently roam.
Carlo Magni, a local estate agent, is currently handling the sale through eBay added that another million would be needed to restore the old buildings and to repair the road leading to the town.
"Right now you can get to within 800 metres in a jeep, then you're walking," Magni said.
He added: "It's a stupendous location, 40km from Florence, with hermits still living in the nearby hermitage of Camaldoli and all the castles you'll ever need, dating from when Siena and Arezzo fought over the area."
Magni explained that the original asking price was $5 million but after little interest from potential buyers he was forced to reduce the price and thought that eBay would be able to reach a larger audience.
"Finding buyers through the trade press costs, whereas eBay is free and reaches a huge public. It's good for selling small things, but I think we will see a lot more Italian villages and even castles coming up for sale," Magni said.
