Tuscany village on sale on eBay

Looking to invest in property? Fancy a holiday home in the sun? Forget the timeshare – amazingly, you can get your hands on a whole village. The idyllic Italian medieval hilltop hamlet of Pratariccia has been placed on sale and put up on auction site eBay at a price of 2.5 million Euros (about £2 million).

Picturesque Pratariccia is situated in Brit holiday favourite Tuscany, nicknamed Chiantishire for its popularity with holidaymakers and second homeowners from the UK. With its favourable climate, fabulous food and wine and attractive countryside, it’s no surprise that Tuscany is a top holiday spot, but with the city of Florence just 25 miles away, Pratariccia would be ideal for longer-term living, as it would be an easy commute to the office.

There have apparently already been a number of bids for the village, of which two have fallen through after advanced negotiations, perhaps they because they did not satisfy the demands of Pratariccia’s owners, a mystery monastic order. So if you’re planning a nudist village or lap-dancing clubs, then forget it. However, those with honourable intentions for the site will have 25 run-down and abandoned houses at their disposal for development on the 5000 square-metre plot, as well as fine agricultural land for growing a bit of fruit n’ veg. But, the owners are looking for a speedy sale, having dropped the asking price from five million euros, so get in there quick.

Luca Santini, mayor of Stia, the nearest inhabited town, said: “It's a wonderful hamlet with beautiful views but some of the houses have collapsed so it could do with some work.”