Ollolai is a small village about 40 minutes drive away from where we live in Nuoro. I have never been there although I have been to nearby Gavoi and Lodine many times. I had heard of the scheme of selling about 200 abandoned houses in the village for €1,00, with the condition that the properties were refurbished within three years at an approximate cost of €20,000 to €30,000, although I hadn't taken much notice of it until earlier this week when the mayor declared that there was now a seven day deadline for applications and the story was subsequently all over the British and American press. I have a few email addresses but my Yahoo email address is the one I use the most and so, by chance, when I was about to read my emails I saw this article about the Ollolai scheme on the Yahoo page. Having lived in Sardinia now for just over eight very happy years, and having really taken to the Sardinian people, what shocked me was the nature of the comments below the article. That the moderators are not doing their job is more than obvious when you witness the appalling geographical and cultural ignorance, not to mention the crass stupidity and mindless bigotry contained in so many of the comments. There were lots of dreadful comments but this one from "Justin" really took the biscuit: "Let’s send the muslims there. Then nuke it and pretend it didn’t happen." ???????!!!!!!! That the comment was voted up by nine people is utterly astonishing. Who are these sub-human automatons, shorn of any normal or genuine human feeling, who write and approve of such dangerous and insensitive nonsense?!
The Facebook Page Do The Brits Know Sardinia posted a link to a Daily Mail story on the same subject. Sadly, while not quite as bad, many of the comments below the Daily Mail story were full of the same sort of ignorance and stupidity. No, Sardinia is not situated on an earthquake fault line. No, Sardinia is not the home of the mafia. No, Sardinians are not all so fanatically religious that they hate all gay people. While homophobia exists it's also true that, certainly in Nuoro, there's a great deal of tolerance and acceptance of gay people. Pretty much like most of the UK really.
A taste of traditional Sardinian culture from Ollolai
To return to Ollolai and the houses for sale for €1,00. It seems to me that the only catches are the ones that you would expect there to be. While everyone I have spoken to tells me that it is an incredibly pretty place, they say that the main reason for its depopulation is the lack of work opportunities, especially for young people. There is also limited public transport and a lack of facilities so private transport is essential. But this is true of many villages and small towns in Central Sardinia. The people living there will usually have to travel to Nuoro for hospital and other services. It is certainly not the right life for everybody but for some it could be a life-changing choice that they will never regret.
Finally, it may be worth noting that the actor and former champion bodybuilder Franco Columbu is originally from the town. Indeed, his fellow actor and more famous friend Arnold Schwarzenegger was made an honorary citizen of Ollolai!
