In recent days, numerous posts on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok have relaunched a piece of news that seems almost too good to be true: Calabria would be ready to pay up to 28,000 euros to anyone who decides to move to one of its small villages.
The news is real, but as often happens on social media, the reality is more nuanced than the slogans that accompany the postcard images of the Tyrrhenian coast or the charming hilltop villages of the hinterland.
The initiative was created with the aim of countering the depopulation that has affected many areas of Calabria for years. Numerous municipalities, especially those with a few thousand inhabitants, are seeing their population steadily decline due to the emigration of young people towards the large Italian cities or abroad. For this reason, the Calabria Region has developed several programmes designed to attract new residents and new economic activities.
The figure that appears in social media posts refers to the so-called "Reddito di Residenza Attiva", a project that has already attracted international attention in past years. The programme provided financial contributions for people willing to move to small municipalities with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, starting an entrepreneurial activity or carrying out professions useful to the area.
In many cases, the contribution was not paid in a single instalment, but distributed over several years or in the form of support for starting a business. The requirements also included age limits and the obligation to actually transfer one's residence to the chosen municipality.
This is precisely the detail that many posts leave out. It is not a matter of receiving 28,000 euros simply by buying a house or registering residence in Calabria.
The Region's goal is in fact not to hand out contributions indiscriminately, but to encourage the creation of new economic activities, generate employment and bring life back to the historic centres that risk emptying out for good.
For many Italians living in Switzerland, or for Swiss people dreaming of a quieter life by the sea, Calabria represents one of the most authentic regions of Italy. Spectacular landscapes, a cost of living generally lower than in the large cities of northern Italy, a mild climate and a culinary heritage among the most appreciated in the country continue to attract interest.
However, anyone considering a move should also carefully weigh up the practical aspects: job opportunities, transport connections, available services and the long-term economic sustainability of the personal project.
In the meantime, the Calabria Region continues to invest in the revival of its small towns through new initiatives such as "Ripopola Calabria" and "Abita Borghi Montani", programmes that aim to bring residents and economic activities back to the villages most affected by demographic decline.
In conclusion, Calabria is not giving away 28,000 euros to anyone who decides to move. There are, however, concrete incentives for those willing to build a life and work project in the region's small municipalities. And for those who dream of a radical change, it could be the chance to turn a wish into a concrete choice.
