A Texas family of four has bought a charming house in the quaint town of Latronico, Italy. According to a report by CNN, While many buy Italian townhouses as a year-round sunshine spot or a vacation retreat, the Dawkins family- Nadine, 59, her husband, Kim, 61, and their children Lorenzo, 29, and DeNae, 27- bought a house in the town of Latronico to get away from the United States and start a new life.
The family decided they wanted to leave the US in 2020, following George Floyd's murder. “[It] showed the world how we as Black people in America have been treated for centuries.”
“All the racism, all the divisiveness, all the hate that the last administration brought to the forefront” has caused an “exodus” from America of Black people who have the means to do so, she says.
"The US is a divided and a very divisive country, voting rights are being rolled back and Black history is undone. I’m tired,” says Nadine.
They became enthralled after reading a CNN piece on Latronico's campaign to offer cheap houses that are already habitable rather than ruins for one euro, or slightly more than a dollar. On a dedicated website, the town also advertises available properties.
How they stumbled upon the property in Italy
The Dawkins family bought the house in 2019, “I was up in the middle of the night during Covid, with lots of time to read, when I came across the CNN story. Immediately we sent an email to the deputy mayor Vincenzo Castellano and looked at properties online," Nadine told CNN.
{{/usCountry}}The Dawkins family bought the house in 2019, “I was up in the middle of the night during Covid, with lots of time to read, when I came across the CNN story. Immediately we sent an email to the deputy mayor Vincenzo Castellano and looked at properties online," Nadine told CNN.
{{/usCountry}}Their relocation follows Nadine's 30-year military career, while Kim Dawkins works for the US government. The family will soon relocate to Panama before making the final journey across the Atlantic to Latronico.
Latronico is located in the southern region of Basilicata and inhabits about 4,000 people and is located within the pristine Pollino National Park, surrounded by hot springs.
Ancestoral connect with Italy
Nadine's great-great-grandfather was Italian and came to America in the 19th century. Her Italian ancestor took on an American name: Clint Jeffrey and married her great-great-grandmother Lucinda, whom he bought from an enslaved Arkansas plantation.
“After hearing my nonna’s stories, I always felt a connection to Italy,” she said.
“Unfortunately, I have no additional information about Lucinda. My grandmother and great-grandmother never told me anything else about her, because of course being born in the 1800s and early 1900s was a hard time for all Black people in America.”
Once in Italy, Nadine hopes to track down the origins of her ancestors. She has no clue where her grandfather hailed from in Italy but keeps an old photo of him close.
The Dawkins found their dream team in Castellano and his assistant Mariangela Tortorella, who guided them through the sales process and connected them with local firms to restyle and furnish their property.
“We picked it immediately and started the paperwork – when something is right it’s right. No hiccups,” says Nadine.