Lorraine Williamson
A Catalan village near Barcelona is offering an enticing escape from city life — complete with a free house, a rent-free shop, and €15,000 to get you started. This unique free house village Barcelona offer comes with just one condition: you must reopen and run the local grocery store at the heart of the community.
Just under an hour from Barcelona, Castellolí — a tiny mountain-ringed community with just 660 residents — is calling on anyone with entrepreneurial spirit to breathe life into its long-shuttered local shop. In return, the town promises not only accommodation but €15,000 in funding and the chance to become part of a close-knit rural society.
Keeping rural Spain alive
The initiative is part of a broader movement across Spain to tackle rural depopulation. As more people leave small towns behind, local councils are getting creative — from offering subsidised housing and tax incentives to launching programmes like masoveria urbana, which allows residents to live rent-free in exchange for maintaining old buildings.
Castellolí is putting this model into action. The village’s former grocer’s shop, Cal Peret, sits in a prime location on the main street, opposite the town hall and cultural centre. The building includes a shopfront and a spacious upstairs flat, both of which will be handed over free of charge to whoever is selected for the role.
A shop with social purpose
For Castellolí’s residents, the reopening of the shop is about more than just convenience. It’s about restoring a hub of village life. In small towns, a grocery store often doubles as a meeting place, a lifeline for the elderly, and a vital part of social cohesion.
“It’s not just a shop. It’s a space where neighbours talk, where people feel connected to the village,” said a local official. “We want to bring that heartbeat back.”
No experience? No problem
Applicants don’t need retail experience — just a solid, realistic plan and a willingness to focus on kilómetro cero produce, sourced from the surrounding Agrarian Park of the Òdena Basin and Rural Park of Montserrat. The aim is to champion sustainable farming while supporting the local economy.
Products could include anything from fuet and butifarra sausages to local cheeses, chickpeas from Alta Anoia, carquinyolis almond biscuits, honey, olive oil, and Penedès wines. In short, the shop should reflect the region’s culinary richness while providing essential goods for villagers.
Village life with a view
Though small, Castellolí punches above its weight. Surrounded by the forested hills of inland Catalonia, it boasts a primary school, sports complex, green spaces, and even an international racetrack, Parcmotor. Nearby hiking trails and proximity to Montserrat make it attractive for visitors and nature lovers alike.
The location also works in your favour — just 60km from Barcelona and easily reached via the A-2 motorway, it combines rural charm with logistical convenience.
How to apply
Applications must be submitted through the Castellolí municipal website by 2.00 pm on 9 July 2025. The council is looking for someone with a strong sense of community and the desire to build something meaningful — not just a shop, but a centre of local life.
More than just a job offer
With dozens of Spanish villages taking bold steps to revitalise rural life, Castellolí’s initiative could become a model for similar communities. For would-be expats or entrepreneurs dreaming of countryside living with a purpose, this is more than a job offer — it’s an opportunity to build a life rooted in community, sustainability, and local pride.