Life in Matavenero ecoVillage, Spain.

There are 2,900 villages and hamlets abandoned in rural Spain that are being sold off for as little as 65,000 Euro (75,000 USD). That's for the entire village…

 

 
 
 

This is one of the homes in Matavenero ecoVillage in León, an isolated mountainous region of North West Spain. The village was abandoned but repopulated in 1989 by an international mix of people who wanted to live closer to the land. Unlike other occupied villages (pueblos okupados) in Spain the group managed to get permission from the local authority to resettle the village.

   
   
 
 
 
       

It was ruined, overgrown, and without road access. Collectively the villagers care for 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of wild mountain landscape at an altitude of about 1,000m (3,300ft). The early settlers lived in tipis and quickly cleared the old paths, reconstructed the school house and repaired a two kilometre canal to bring water to the village. They began to create gardens for food, rebuilt ruined homes and installed a cable transport system which has helped more people to settle in the village.

The community is an environmentally friendly settlement growing its own organic produce where now the third generation of children are starting to appear. It continues to attract people from all over Europe to live, to take courses, or just visit. In the video (above) one of the villagers explains how they live together and how to join their unique community. If you are looking for an ecoVillage or you would like to publicise your ecoVillage then we have a list in our natural building group (requires Facebook membership).

 

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