The picturesque Italian village put on sale to avoid his disappearance

Surrounded by mountains and located almost at the foot of Lago di Como, Esino Lario is a picturesque town in the north of Italy and one of those jewels of Lombardy that any tourist would like to visit.

But with only 747 inhabitants and a declining population since the 1970s, the village is also the symbol of one of the social problems afflicting all of Europe: depopulation from the inside and migration to the big cities.

To make this situation visible, Mayor Pietro Pensa has decided to extend his political responsibilities and simply put the town up for sale on a website and through several ads in the national press, including in the Corriere della Sera

"I'm selling Esino Lario", launched Pensa in a promotional video. "This is not an urgent message, a groan, but a positive message: Esino is a land that has done a lot with few resources. We are ready to sacrifice something to allow citizens to stay here, "he added about the city of Lecco province, according to the agency. ANSA.

What can you buy? Since Welcome sign (can be bought for 1.250 euros) and benches on public roads (only 280 euros each), and Take one for free at the purchase of two!), the municipal building (200 000 euros) and the via crucis (600 000 euros), everything has a price in this fantasy become reality for those who seek to be owners of their own people or maybe for fans of Sim City.

Much of this material for sale has a huge beauty and unmatched historical value (like Plaza Caprera, 350,000 euros, including two small springs), although Esino Lario was created in 1927, merging the municipalities of Esino Inferiore and Esino Superiore, there is evidence of human presence in the area since the 5th century BC.

Since then, the current Esino Lario was in the middle of an important axis of communication bordering Lake Como, and it they pbaded and lived during the following centuries: Celts, Romans, Lombards, Carolingians, Spaniards and Austrians, among many others.

The region had also an important role in the process of unification of Italy in the second half of the nineteenth century. It is precisely because of the intensity of this tumultuous period that Esino Lario has gone back and forth and has always kept out of the growth and wealth of the powerful Milan, a situation that has only strengthened the First and second world wars.

But not only the historical wealth of buildings and public spaces are for sale. It is also offered, with a discount of 15%, the iced cave of Moncodeno, a marvel of nature at a price of 450,000 euros.

There is no need to waste time, since the auction will end in three days and has generated unease among many neighbors who do not approve of the auction of their people.

But not so fast: the campaign would be nothing elsea provocation, a marketing attempt to draw attention to the problem of the 5,544 small villages that still exist throughout Italy, from Lombardy to Abruzzo, from Piedmont to Lazio, from Sicily and Sardinia to Friuli Venezia Giulia.

This is a measure taken by Pensa, which took over in 2015, to try to reverse the trend, and who organized in 2016 in particular the organization of the world conference encyclopedia Wikipedia.

So no, the public and natural heritage of the municipality located only 60 kilometers from Milan he would not be about to get into the hands of the bored billionaire from time to time. But almost.

According to a survey of the National Association of Italian Communities (ANCI), quoted by the Italian edition of Vanity Fairbetween 1971 and 2015 Small towns like Esino Lario have lost on average more than half of their inhabitants. In 115 of them, the number reaches 60% and in 80% of the population emigrated in certain specific cases.

In all, About 74,000 people went to live in big cities, mostly young people looking for better opportunities.

Many of these villages where life becomes more and more difficult, with a limited supply of goods and services, a decline in cultural production and a lack of work, have launched initiatives try to repopulate, with different success.

Some opted for sell houses for only one euro, as in Sambuca di Sicilia. Others asked to be reception centers for refugees, and in other cases, attempts were made to launch a set of tax incentives for individuals and businesses.

For the president of the ANCI, Antonio Decaro, "Depopulation is not an inevitable destiny and it is an alarm campaign. "

Decaro pointed out Vanity Fair that it was necessary to promote and revive the economic, social and cultural development of these small towns, stressing that 73% of thems "the most beautiful villages in Italy" and that in 94% of cases, there are typical regional products protected by the appellation of origin.

For example, Esino Lario is the place of origin of the Ravioli di Sant & Antonio, a variation of the clbadic Italian dish in which potatoes are added to the dough andn stuffed with meat, cheese and a hint of Amaretto.

But aside from the strategies based on tourism and food, the truth is that depopulation is not an Italian problem. In almost all European countries, small towns, some with very old history, have great difficulty in retaining young people.