Sgarbiland or is that “Sgarbilandia”.

In today’s Italian “broadsheet” La Stampa translated as The Press, a new brand has been given to the Salemi regeneration project, namely “Sgarbilandia” or in English Sgarbiland, named after the local mayor Vittorio Sgarbi.

The mayor, Sgarbi, is now world famous for offering free italian property in Salemi to anyone who will refubish it into an Italian home in 2 years. Salemi is now on the world map, the town is buzzing.

mipc - get a 1 euro house

In La Stampa, Sgardi talks about an inversion in Italian migration traditionally from south to north in search that the streets are made of gold. “Now it will be the rich from the north who will come here and there is no way they cannot bring riches with them.”

The local council’s head of urban planning and regeneration Mr Bernardo Tortorici, states the local council staff are overwhelmed with applications coming from Australia, Canada, the Baltic States, Germany, France, Russia, Lithuania, and America. The local receptionist, not known for her linguistic abilities, is struggling and the backroom staff are frantically searching title deeds to ensure the properties are in the name of the council. Mr Tortorici states “…but we will make it”.

Yesterday Mr Sgarbi claimed that one of the most important figures in the restoration of old Italian towns has come on board, the Italo-Swedish developer Daniele Khilgren, who has brought other ancient hill towns back from the brink and recently turned cave dwellings in the ancient southern town of Matera into a unique hotel.

With famous celebrities signing up for the houses including american Vogue’s Anna Wintour and world music’s Peter Gabriel and some of Italy’s most beautiful women, including socialites Anna Falchi and Afef Jnifen, and some of Berlusconi’s government….I can’t wait for the next episode.

In fact…….I have a meeting with the Mr Tortorici next week to clarify a lot of questions and present some client’s fantastic projects…..Until then…….David

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