Airbnb launches 'Casa d'artista' in Civita di Bagnoregio with Francesco Simeti as first artist-in-residence

Airbnb, through its real estate division Samara, has expanded into cultural tourism with a new initiative in Italy. The company signed an agreement with the municipality of Civita di Bagnoregio (Viterbo) to launch 'Casa d'artista', a project converting public buildings into residencies for international artists. The goal is to leverage art and culture to transform quantity tourism into quality tourism, using Airbnb's technological platform to fund cultural activities in Italian villages. Francesco Simeti is the first artist to participate, having completed a residency in autumn 2016 that produced a work now housed in the residence. The historic building, available on Airbnb from April, offers artists a reduced rental fee in exchange for leaving an artwork as a trace of their stay. The local administration will manage the space, using proceeds for building maintenance and other cultural initiatives. The interior design was handled by DWA studio in Milan. The project is curated by Federica Sala.