Airbnb Might Let You Spend Three Months In Quaint Italian Village For Free
Image via Airbnb
2019 is the year you step out of your comfort zone to, well, destress in a world where time goes on a standstill.
Airbnb has announced that it will send four people to become “temporary citizens” of a small village in southern Italy called Grottole.
The ‘Italian Sabbatical’ program is an all-expenses-paid excursion that lets interested candidates live and explore in the rural area—which boasts a small population of 300 residents—for three months.
In the first month of the sabbatical, these volunteers will dive into the village’s culture, participate in language classes, learn how to run the local vegetable garden, and then use its produce to cook Italian meals.
They’ll also visit sites like a 10th-century castle, wine cellars, a church from the 1500s, a beekeeper’s place for fresh honey, and more.
The next two months will see the participants co-hosting stays with non-profit Wonder Grottole, and then sharing their newfound knowledge with other travelers.
Airbnb details that the experience was created because Grottole, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is shrinking in population and has more than 600 vacant houses. The program aims to restore the village’s cultural center, in addition to filling out these homes.
The trip covers volunteers’ travel expenses to and from Grottole, as well as up to €900 each month. Interested candidates can sign up for the sabbatical here, and the shortlist will be announced on 29 March 2019.
[via Travel + Leisure, video and cover image via Airbnb]
Also check out these recent news
