Troina joins 1 euro house Italy initiative
The Sicilian town Troina is one of the latest towns to join the 1 euro house initiative in Italy
Troina a small town in Sicily has been fighting depopulation and has decided to join the 1 euro house initiative Italy with the aim to revive it’s old town centre. Troina is located in a mountainous area of the province of Enna. Located near to the Nebrodi National Park mountains and the great mother volcano, Mount Etna and the Etna National Park. In fact, due to Troina’s high vantage point, great views of Mt. Etna can be seen from the town.
There have been various articles written about the 1 euro house initiative in Italy and the various towns that have participated. However, I found few of them to include the thoughts and feelings about the initiative from the existing resident population. Therefore, I decided to get in touch with some Troinese. First of all, I asked:
“What do you think about the 1 euro house initiative for Troina?”
These are the responses I received:
Fabiola 29 years old: “I think it’s an excellent initiative to re-evaluate and repopulate the historic centre!”
Francesca 34 years old: “A beautiful initiative, a resource for the development of the country by repopulating the uninhabited neighbourhoods and, at the same time, giving the economy a chance to refresh”
Paola 40 years old: “The one-euro houses represent a concrete initiative for the revaluation of the historic centre, repopulation, and tourism relaunch”
Mary: “Nice initiative”
Secondly, I decided to delve a bit deeper and ask people from Troina to be volunteers for a small focus group. Asking each of them the same 6 questions. My aim, as it often is with this blog, was to provide information about things happening in Sicily from those who know about it best – the Sicilians. Thus in this case, to provide people with information about Troina from those who know it best, the Troinese.
The Focus Group:
- GIANNA, 32 years old
- DARIO, 47 years old
- GIOVANNA, 33 years old
- LUANA, 28 years old
- LAURA, 33 years old
- JEAN PIERRE, 21 years old
1. What kind of person do you think would like to live in Troina?
GIANNA: I think elderly or retired people would be happy to live in Troina to spend a peaceful and quiet life away from the chaos of the city.
DARIO: Nobody would come to live in Troina, they would buy houses for one euro just to do philanthropy
GIOVANNA: To live in Troina you have to be a calm, cheerful, optimistic person and above all a lover of nature
LUANA: People who get tired of the chaotic city life and would like to live in peace
LAURA: A quiet person who loves life tailored to a mountain village or a person who needs to relax and disconnect from city life
JEAN PIERRE: Mostly tourists, French, Spanish
2. What kind of services are available in Troina? Are there any things Troina is missing?
GIANNA: In Troina there is no hospital even if we have an oasis (a research and care institute). Then there are no roads or work, in fact 80% of young people have emigrated outside Troina
DARIO: There are no connecting roads, if those are missing, people don’t come or they never come back
GIOVANNA: The services, there are all the services, while the things that are missing are the work and productivity
LUANA: Oasis (Research and Care Institute), Banks, Post Offices, Real Estate and Insurance Agencies, Supermarkets, Bakeries, Clothing Stores, Footwear, Bookshops, Gift Shops, Restaurants, Pubs, Disco Pubs, B&Bs, Pharmacies …
LAURA: The Oasis is a symbolic structure of Troina, the essential services are all there, despite being a small centre Troina is an avant-garde town. Unfortunately, there is a lack of health care services and effective road infrastructures to connect with the larger centres
JEAN PIERRE: The essential services are all there, and I would say that nothing is missing
3. Quali tipi di cibi si potrebbero gustare a Troina?
[NOTE: You can find a short explanation of what these foods are at the bottom]
GIANNA: In Troina you can try La Vastedda co Sammucu, Nfasciatieddi, Fruscietti and vegetables at KM 0
DARIO: La Piciocia, La Vastedda, La carne nel canale, Castrato
GIOVANNA: Many foods such as La Vastedda, Cudduruna and many traditional sweets
LUANA: A Vastedda co Commucu, Nfasciatieddi, Cudduruna …
LAURA: The typical food is La Vastedda, Nfasciatedde and other confectionary delights
JEAN PIERRE: Any type of Sicilian product, but above all typical products, e.g. Vastedda, Invasciatelle
4. In your opinion, what are the best things about Troina?
GIANNA: The climate, the people, the order and the tranquility
DARIO: The people
GIOVANNA: The best things are the fresh air, cleanliness and nature
LUANA: The climate, the tranquility and cleanliness
LAURA: The food and the clean and unpolluted air
JEAN PIERRE: The climate, the tranquility and sociability
5. In your opinion, what are the worst things about Troina?
GIANNA: There is no work and no roads
DARIO: Road connections
GIOVANNA: The worst things are the roads, they lack a cycle path, the roads are poor and poor access to the woods and Lake Sartori
LUANA: Being a mountain town – the roads, and it doesn’t offer the same services as a city
LAURA: The lack of many services such as hospitals or roads, and people who are too curious
JEAN PIERRE: Youth employment
6. What do people living in Troina do for fun? Are there pubs, cinemas, sports clubs etc?
GIANNA: There are pubs, discos, cinemas, sports associations, theatres, sports fields
DARIO: Disco, pub, everyone has a villa in the countryside for private parties, nightlife
GIOVANNA: There are various excursions to natural places such as excursions in the woods and around the lake, practicing sporting activities, outings of various kinds such as walks and visits in the Troinese village and going to the various places to enjoy a good meal, pizza and typical dishes
LUANA: Restaurants, pubs and disco
LAURA: There are some pubs and restaurants, the nightlife is quite developed
JEAN PIERRE: You go to various pubs, sports clubs, to have fun there is everything
A short explanation of the food from Troina from Question 4:
La Vastedda co Sammucu or A Vastedda co Commucu: This is a typical focaccia exclusive to Troina. Sammucu refers to Sambuco (Elderberry), due to the elderberry flowers that are added to the focaccia mixture. The focaccia is often filled with Tuma cheese and salami typical of the area.
Nfasciatieddi o Invasciatelle: Typical Troinese biscuits made with prickly pear cooked wine (vino cotto)
Fruscietti: Round biscuits made with only flour, sugar and eggs
La Piciocia: Troinese polenta made with chick peas and chickpea flour, often cooked with pancetta, onion and chilli
La carne nel canale: Meat grilled on a long curved terracotta roof tile
il Castrato: Grilled lamb meat
Cudduruna: Also called the Frittelle di Carnevale, fried dough covered in sugar
Over to you! What do you think about the 1 euro house initiative for Troina, or other towns in Italy? Would you like to live in Troina? Let us know in the comments below
