Who is Argentina who will live three months free in a small Italian town

That happened at the end of March in an office in Buenos Aires. Pablo Colangelo, a 36-year-old system engineer, looked at the computer screen with eyes full of tears. For its part, an employee confirmed that he had been selected by Airbnb for
live three months in the small Italian village of Grottole, all expenses paid.

Pablo and four other people were chosen by the temporary rental application and the NGO Wonder Grottole among more than 280,000 candidates to settle temporarily in this city of the province of Matera. Argentina is the second country to have sent more applications to this competition after the United States: about 40,000 applications.

"I'm trying to make sure that the time spent on work and leisure is 50-50," said Pablo.
THE NATION from Mexico, where he is taking a diving course. I get contracts as a computer consultant for a period of four to five months, and the rest of the time, I travel, blog, feeds my YouTube channel. "

With four other winners, he is part of the project Sabático Italiano, which aims to promote the Grottole through tourism. About 300 inhabitants live in the historic center of the city and 600 dwellings are uninhabited.

The elected officials will live three months with full payment, they will take Italian and cooking clbades and they will be trained to be co – hosts of accommodation and experiences in Grottole.

The five volunteers were selected based on their motivation, their commitment to the project and their willingness to share their skills to contribute to the local community. They will travel on June 5th.

The project

According to Colangelo, his proposals to revitalize life in Grottole will mix the two facets of his life. "What the members of the NGO and Airbnb want is that I contribute to the knowledge of the systems and it seemed useful to give visibility to the project in the social networks, with a YouTube channel on Italian cooking, beekeeping, etc. communicate using new technologies with family members who have left, "he explains.

And the young man born and raised in Buenos Aires added: "I've always loved traveling in little-known places, small towns and communities, Italian culture is part of my roots, my grandfather lived One hour from Grottole, I am pbadionate about going to town and trying to leave my mark, by returning to Italy a little of what he left us with Argentines. "

Despite his nomadic life, he does not rule out settling later in a small town. "I will continue as a traveler for a few years, my dream has always been to install in the south of Italy," he says. "That's why I find this trip very appealing, but it will be longer-term, in 20 years, with the Grottole people, who knows, I can go later."