Here's an effective way to sell a Tuscan village: put it up for sale on eBay. That's exactly what the proprietors of Pratariccia have done: they're using the auction site to unload the charming hill town.
According to The Telegraph, Pratariccia has been abandoned since the 1960s and is now owned by an "undisclosed monastic order" whose members "live outside the area and they are looking for a quick sale and to make as much as possible." (The mayor of the next town over expertly agrees that "the internet is the best way to get publicity so hopefully it will sell quickly.")
Anyway, what's in store for the next owner of the 800-year-old hamlet outside Florence: 25 dilapidated stone houses and views of the countryside from 2,400 feet above sea level. Not too shabby for £2M ($3.1M)—it's more expensive than certain other Italian villages but it also makes way more sense than, say, buying a 64-square-foot house on eBay. As far as American towns for sale, there have been plenty of options recently, as well.
· Tuscan village up for sale on eBay for £2 million [The Telegraph via AOL Real Estate]
· Borgo medievale nel Casentino per Arezzo [eBay]
· Entire Italian Village Hits the Market For Less Than $1M [Curbed National]
· Another 13th-Century Italian Village Hits the Market [Curbed National]