It’s an enticing trend that’s taken the world by storm; the promise of owning a place of your own, nestled in the heart of the Italian countryside, for the absurdly low price of just one euro, or a little more than one American dollar….but there has to be some kind of catch, right?
From the quaint Sicilian community of Cammarata to the pristine mountain village of Ollali, there are quite a few shrewd Italian towns that have gotten in on all of the action. And can you blame them? This one euro home business is great publicity.
Taranto, Italy one of the first European cities to join this unique club, is a port town on the coast of Puglia located on the heel of Italy. In recent years, its population has begun to dwindle and the local officials definitely want to reverse this downward trend.
Buyers hoping to get their hands on a piece of property here must commit to renovating the properties if they want to keep them and this process can cost thousands of dollars. So it’s not exactly like are just handing out freebies. You’ll still have to put in a lot of work if you want to score one of these homes.
The hope is that these dilapidated old buildings can be renovated and their new tenants can help build back up the population. While 15 buildings initially went up for grabs early last year, since then more listings have been put up on the market.
At this point, you’re probably curious to see what the Italian town of Taranto is all about. Keep watching to learn all about its undeniable appeal and what it has to offer for the best things to do in Taranto, Italy.
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Taranto Is A Picturesque Piece Of Coastal Paradise
Founded in 706 BC by Dorian Greek immigrants hailing from Sparta, Taranto is laden with olive groves and surrounded by clear, shimmering water. Its rustic appeal has made it an increasingly popular tourists destination in recent years.
The surrounding regions’ must-see sights and attractions include the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Castel del Monte and Alberobello, the bursting-with-life national park of Gargano, the spellbinding sea caves of Salento, and the olde worlde towns of Otranto, Ostuni, and Gallipoli.
Taranto itself is often left off of travel guides and tourist maps, but it’s just as mesmerizing and culturally rich as its neighboring towns and villas.
The city is often referred to as the capital of the ancient Magna Grecia, and it proudly displays its Greek Heritage.
In recent times, however, Taranto has been associated with just one thing, the Liva Steelworks, which was once the largest in Europe.
The factory, which was built in the late 60s, emitted nauseating fumes into the air for years before magistrates demanded that they either clean up their act or shut down. In May of 2021, the infamous plant’s former owners, Fabio and Nicola Riva, were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their roles in allowing their facility to contaminate the historic city.
Now, there is this growing sense that Taranto not only has the chance of breaking away from its past but also that the future for this oft-overlooked city might just be a bright one.
Taranto’s 44-year-old mayor, Rinaldo Melucci, oversees the operation of the city from his office in the Citta Vecchia – which is Italian for ‘old city’. But while the window of his suite looks out towards the ocean, it’s not that far away from the steelworks that has long defined his town.
In the last half-century, Liva not only took a devastating toll on people’s health and the local ecosystem, but it has also caused quite a bit of psychological damage to Taranto’s population. According to Melucci, it stifled education and creativity. And the factory pretty much blackmailed the towns residents into believing that they were dependent on Liva to survive. If the steelworks were to close, it would likely have a significant impact on the economy of the city.
But when Melucci took office in 2017, he vowed to change that mentality. He wants to present a vision for Taranto that revives the city’s old identity while introducing a new, diverse, and proud future.
A Bold New Vision For The Future
For millennia, Taranto had a distinct identity, but in the last 50 years or so a new identity has been pushed upon it by the steelworks. But now the city has a $1.77 billion budget to help take on this recuperation project, and suddenly the city feels alive with possibilities.
Just this year, Taranto hosted the Italian round of Sail GP and in 2026 it will host the highly-anticipated Mediterranean Games. Much of the city’s redevelopment plan, including its brand-new stadium that will eventually host Taranto’s soccer team, is focused on 2026 as its deadline.
Another project that is attempting to help carry the city into a post-industrial future, is the enormous Palazzo Archita, a giant 20,000 square meter building that dominates the modern center of the city. It sat empty and desolate for more than a decade like some kind of decaying monstrosity that never stopped reminding the city’s residents of Taranto’s past failings.
Very soon, however, it will reopen with spaces that include a new art gallery, education facilities, and a library.
The Old City’s Labyrinth Of Narrow Streets
The most important project that Taranto is gearing up for, however, is a bit more elaborate than just renovating an old shopping center.
The Old City which was built on the original Doric platform of ancient Taranto is a beast of its own. It’s a literal island separated from the modern city by a swiveling bridge called the Ponte Girevole. When Liva showed up, it was the old city that was most deeply impacted.
The Old City features so much history. Its labyrinth of ancient streets and abandoned buildings is today home to just a small community of people even though it was once the city’s bustling central hub.
For the past 30 years or so, the Old City has been all but abandoned. But fortunately, that’s all about to change as new endeavors such as the 1 Euro home project intend on resurrecting it to its former glory.
Taranto’s Underground Chambers
Another feature of Taranto worth checking out are its many underground chambers that lie just beneath the old city.
The caves were hollowed out many hundreds of years ago during the Greek age to gather the materials that were used to build the city’s ancient temples and then later, the medieval city itself.
Over the years, these chambers have been used for everything from burial chambers to smuggling dens.
When the steelworks came in and provided new kinds of jobs, the people started to desire lodgings of higher quality, so the old buildings became less desirable.
By the 90s, only a small fraction of the population of people that lived there 30 years prior still called the old city their home. Because of that, most of the buildings just turned into empty shells and the majority of this real estate still belongs to the municipality to this day. But because of this, the city of Taranto is presented with an incredible opportunity.
While the majority of these buildings are admittedly in pretty poor condition, they still offer a tremendous amount of historical value. The revival of the Old City just might be the spark that leads to wider change. By renovating the old city, there is the potential that its cultural assets can act as a catalyst for growth.
Taranto’s Appeal Is Broad-Reaching
The southern Italian region of Puglia, where Taranto is located, is renowned for its cuisine, stone architecture, and dramatic coastal vistas.
Taranto has a large port and the cruises are beginning to come back to the city, so it looks like the tourism industry is shaping to be a major part of the city’s future.
The city’s climate is also quite appealing as the weather has been described as perpetually springlike.
One of Taranto’s most striking buildings is the Castello Aragonese, an imposing fortification that was built almost 600 years ago. Another site worth visiting is the Temple of Poseidon which dates back to the 6th century BC. There you can take an intriguing at Taranto’s former life as an ancient Greek colony.
Another Taranto fixture that breaths life into the ancient city is the Taranto Cathedral. This Byzantine structure was originally built in the 10th century but was rebuilt and restored in the 11th century with the addition of a basilica.
Located in the center of the Borgo Antico, the cathedral can be easily reached on foot and is a great building to visit during a tour of the old city.
History buffs will probably be interested in checking out the Taranto Spartan Museum which is located on the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. The museum’s exhibits are all underground, and they offer a historical look at the ancient Spartan colonists that settled the town.
If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the Cheradi islands which lie to the southwest of Taranto in the Gulf of Taranto are accessible by ferry and offer visitors secluded beaches to relax on and rugged landscapes as well as vast pine forests to explore.
So, are you ready to snag up a 1 Euro Italian home in an ancient city full of history and culture? If so, just remember that it will be your job to restore it while taking into account the architectural style and aesthetic of the existing buildings.
Italy has some very strict rules about architecture and historical places, but if you have the time, money, and passion to take such a project on, then you just might be able to take part in the revitalization of one of Italy’s most overlooked treasures.
But what do you think? Do you think that the city of Taranto is going to see a lot of genuine interest in their 1 Euro home project or do you think that most prospective home buyers are going to be looking for something a bit more refined? Let us know in the comments section below.
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