Airbnb wants you to spend three months in an Italian village for free

If you’ve always dreamt of quitting your job to travel some of the most idyllic places in the world, this could be your big chance.

If you dream of quitting your job and travelling to one of the most idyllic places in the world, this could be your chance.

Airbnb has teamed up with Wonder Grottole to offer four lucky travellers the opportunity to volunteer in a quaint village in Italy, eating all the carbs they can while immersing themselves in the local culture.

The four winners will be living in the village of Grottole, which sits on a hilltop in southern Italy, about 220km east of Naples.

This stunning village in Italy could be your home for a European summer.

With only 300 inhabitants, the role will be to work for the local NGO Wonder Grottole to help breath new life in to the community, as well as learn the language, do a bit of cooking and help run the local vegetable garden.

The idyllic location is at risk of disappearing, so the program hopes to reinvigorate the village.

“Italy is an extraordinary country with a strong and vibrant rural community, countless hilltop villages and a passionate and welcoming culture,” Airbnb co-founder and chief product officer Joe Gebbia said.

Four lucky winners will spend three months in Grottole, Italy.

“We want to help preserve these communities so they continue for generations to come. By inspiring and supporting others to get involved and make real contributions to village life, we hope it shines a light on the beauty of rural Italy.”

The four tourists selected will start their journey with one month of training before they become fully fledged home and experience co-hosts with Wonder Grottole.

As co-hosts on Airbnb, they will welcome guests to a bedroom at the local community centre or into a traditional home in the centre of the village. On top of that role, they will be responsible for showing visitors traditional skills like vegetable farming, honey harvesting, pasta making and olive oil production.

The stunning Italian village will teach four volunteers the language and how to cook.

All proceeds from these experiences will be invested back into the village.

“Coming to Grottole from a big city, people will find an ancient village, full of woods and pastures. We encourage them to leave everything behind and connect with our way of living. They will experience a new dimension,” said villager Rocco, who has lived in Grottole for 30 years.

The small village has 300 inhabitants.

“Visitors coming to Grottole will live in a quiet place, with slow living,” said local olive oil producer Vincenzo.

“There’s no traffic, no chaos, no pollution, good food and, above all, welcoming people. People from abroad will bring a new energy to our village and they must be open to sharing their stories with us. We are good listeners.”

So what does it take to apply?

1. Candidates must be over 18

2. Available to move to Grottole for three months from June to August 2019 to volunteer for the NGO Wonder Grottole.

3. Be able to speak good conversational English and open to learning Italian during the trip.

4. Applicants will also need to demonstrate their commitment to contribute to village life.

To apply, visit www.italiansabbatical.com and complete the application form.