When the mayor of a sleepy town in Italy announced it was selling houses that people can move into for less than the price of a used car, he thought he might get one or two offers. But after CNN Travel reported the deal aimed at reviving the fortunes of Biccari, a pretty community in Italy's southwestern Puglia whose population has dwindled to 2,000, its civic leader says he received no fewer than 20,000 emails from all over the world.

"We were flooded with requests," Gianfilippo Mignogna tells CNN. "Many people sent us touching letters of why they'd like to buy a house here and become part of our community, alongside their photos to introduce who they were. "Some had intriguing, fascinating personal stories, linked to our territory and migration history."