Digital nomads can dwell totally free in Sardinia — this is tips on how to apply

Clarese Partis, a 39-year-old software program designer from Los Angeles, has all the time needed to work from an offbeat spot removed from the crowds.  

So when she was provided such a chance, she immediately grabbed it. 

Final week, Partis landed within the Sardinian village of Ollolai in Italy for a free keep paid by the native municipality. It is a part of a program aimed toward digital nomads who wish to quickly relocate to work within the heart of the island, amid farmers and grazing sheep. 

She’s the primary digital nomad to reach — and already she stated it seems like a life-changer. 

“I’ve been touring as a digital nomad for the reason that previous two years, final in Zanzibar,” stated Partis, however “when the chance for Ollolai got here alongside I used to be excited to offer it a attempt.” 

“I felt I wanted a change of place,” she stated, although “not a touristy one, however [instead] surrounded by nature, recent air, mountains, stunning seashores, the place I may discover extra solace, peace and a slower-paced way of life.” 

Ollolai is situated within the wild Barbagia space removed from the Sardinia’s VIP-packed coastlines — a spot the place previous traditions survive and bandits as soon as lived in caves. 

Via time, locals left looking for a brighter future elsewhere, emptying the traditional district, now coated in avenue artwork depicting rural life. 

Up to now century, Ollolai’s inhabitants shrank from 2,250 to 1,300, with solely a handful of infants born every year. 

The village adopted a extremely publicized measure in 2018 to revive the previous district: promoting crumbling houses for 1 euro.

“That was a significant success — many foreigners purchased and restyled dozens of forsaken dwellings,” stated Mayor Francesco Columbu informed CNBC. “Now, after investing in high-speed web, with this new undertaking ‘Work from Ollolai’ we wish to make our village a digital nomad hub.”

Ollolai’s city corridor has earmarked 20,000 euros ($21,460) to host 30 distant staff from all around the world, who can keep within the village, one by one, over the subsequent two years.

On-line functions are open via December. Those that are chosen can keep totally free for as much as three months at a time, which is the utmost interval non-Europeans can stay in Italy with out a visa.

For now, Partis plans to remain only one month, although she stated she would possibly think about prolonging her Sardinian expertise at a later stage. 

The subsequent teleworker is arriving from Singapore, stated Veronica Matta, head of native cultural affiliation Sa Mata, which handles the “Work from Ollolai” program with the mayor’s workplace. 

“We anticipate lots of Individuals,” she stated. “Our purpose is to revive Ollolai with new folks of various cultures and languages which will share their expertise [as] digital nomads with the residents.”

The finances, from the city corridor’s coffers, will go towards renting houses from native households for the digital nomads, at a value of roughly 350 euros a month for a furnished two-bedroom dwelling. Utilities, payments and city corridor service taxes may even be coated, stated Matta, however transportation and airplane tickets usually are not.

The houses, which used to belong to shepherd and farmer households, who prior to now used to sleep on the bottom flooring with their animals, include an workplace and high-speed web connection.

Staff shall be invited to locals gala’s and festivals, in keeping with Matta. Partis stated she was invited to a celebration in town’s piazza the night time earlier than.

“I simply needed to give my landowner a symbolic one euro for the home rental,” stated Partis. “Locals are so heat and welcoming, and it is not as a result of they wish to promote you one thing, like in touristy locations.”

“I like to mingle with the folks right here,” she stated.

Winners can keep totally free in Sardinia — if, that’s, they comply with give one thing again to the area people earlier than they depart, stated Matta.

“This isn’t a free vacation,” stated Matta. “They should have a confirmed background as a digital nomad and depart a concrete piece of labor on the finish of their keep — be it a convention, an essay, analysis paper or documentary.”

Partis plans to offer a lecture on what it means to be a digital nomad, basically and particularly in Ollolai, she stated.

Matta pressured that “skilled distant staff from all fields are inspired to use: know-how, media, finance, actual property, structure — additionally artists, writers, musicians, scientists and teachers.” 

However that is supplied they depart behind a “information jolt” that enriches the village tradition, she stated.

Partis already loves her new residence within the village’s historic district. It has two bedrooms and an exquisite panoramic balcony with views of a pristine valley and woods, the place she finds inspiration whereas working, she stated.  

For now, she stated she’s balancing her work and need to sightsee throughout Sardinia.

“I am nonetheless settling in. There are days I spend touring to discover the attractive locations round, and others I shut myself at residence catching up on my work,” she stated.  

She stated a typical day in Ollolai is much like her life elsewhere: yoga meditation within the morning, adopted by work, then a stroll outdoors and a drive to the coast or the mountains to benefit from the silence and views. 

“I do not drink so the bar isn’t my high place to hang around,” she stated. “As a substitute, I like going to the farmers’ market to choose recent elements similar to truffles, making pasta and gnocchi with pesto. The meals is wonderful.”

She stated that Ollolai is extra stunning than she ever anticipated, and the friendliness of its folks shocked her. 

“There may be a lot to discover in Sardinia. I am glad I’m right here with sufficient time to immerse myself within the island and its tradition.”