When Lynette Elser from Crossville, Tennessee, first moved to the Italian village of Latronico with her 5-year-old autistic adopted son, Kenny, she didn’t plan on making it her new home.
And Kenny, who has a severe respiratory illness, was there the first night, a first for Elser, a former federal government scientist.
Normally, she would check his blood oxygen levels with a fingertip pulse monitor in the middle of the night and hear him sound like he was having trouble breathing, but something was different in Latronico’s case.
“Honestly, I thought his blood oximeter was broken and wasn’t reading the oxygen levels correctly,” Elser said. “We switched monitors and still got good readings. And that night, his breathing was steady and I was just surprised to see that he wasn’t trying to raise his head up on the pillow.”
While Elser remained on alert, Kenny’s blood oxygen level remained stable and above 95%. His heart rate was normal.
“It’s terrifying to see a child who can’t breathe, who suffers with every breath, who has no oxygen levels in their blood and whose heart is beating over 250 times a minute,” she says. “When we were at Latronico, he had no trouble getting air and breathing.”
As Elser saw her son’s health improve, it occurred to her that Latronico, a small hill town of about 4,500 people in southern Italy’s Basilicata region, should become their new permanent home.
Elser was drawn to the town after reading a CNN article about the town’s affordable housing program, which aims to attract new buyers and reverse decades of population decline caused by people leaving the area in search of jobs. This is one of the country places where you can find cheap houses for sale all over Italy.
In September 2024, Elser bought a secluded 100 square meter renovated old house in Latronico for 50,000 euros (about $59,000) on the town’s online platform.
She planned to use the property on the upper floors as just a holiday home, enjoying a quiet, non-touristy location, close to the sea and mountains, surrounded by nature.
But everything changed when she and Kenny visited the historic district to finally see what they had actually bought.
On that same first visit, she eventually purchased the vacant lot below and expanded the house into a four-story residence. We are currently putting the final touches on the renovation work.
Kenny has been hospitalized multiple times in the United States for respiratory issues and has multiple special needs. He is autistic and nonverbal, has severe developmental delays and allergies, and has a history of low blood oxygen levels, frequently below 90%, conditions that usually require medical intervention.
Elser believes it was Latronico’s “healing” place and now helps Kenny breathe at night. This town is on a hill, above the forest and tree pollen, the air is fresh, there are few cars, and there is no smog. This is typically a low-risk environment for people with respiratory illnesses.
Rosalia Loresco, a physician and pediatrician based in Latronico, said she has seen other people with respiratory illnesses benefit from the area’s clean air.
“Many patients with asthma and respiratory illnesses report that they breathe better and their overall health improves during their stay in the area,” she says.
As the property sale proceeded, Elser continued to think about how easily Kenny would be able to breathe in Latronico, and filed paperwork to make it his primary residence. By doing so, you can also avoid taxes that are normally levied on second home owners.
She and Kenny currently live on their original property in town. It has two upper floors and two large bedrooms. It was already habitable at the time of purchase and required only minor modifications, including upgraded heating and electrical equipment, air conditioning, exterior water-resistant coating, and energy-efficient windows and doors.
Another 83 square meter site is on the lower two floors, the first floor of which is almost below street level and therefore requires more work. It costs 18,000 euros and was previously used to raise pigs. Elser spent 63,000 euros converting the house into a livable space with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, plumbing and electricity. Renovations are 95% complete and scheduled for completion in summer 2026, when the exterior walls will be repainted.
When the two properties are combined, the area will be 183 square meters, with a front porch and multiple balconies with mountain and valley views. Elser also plans to purchase a nearby garage. This space will allow Kenny to have his own indoor playroom.
“Money was never an issue,” she says. “I’ve always worked so that I could buy what I wanted. If I didn’t have money, I’d work harder and wait. So, of course I considered the price of the house and the cost of improving it, but I focused more on quality of life.”
In March 2025, Elser applied for a selective residence visa (requiring 31,000 euros of passive income per person) and moved to Latronico with Kenny in July. They plan to enroll Kenny in the village school in the spring, and are in the process of completing the paperwork to ensure he will receive full support.
Elser believes she can cope better in Latronico’s classrooms, where there are far fewer students with special education needs than in Tennessee, where little progress has been made.
She says that in just a few months, she and her son have already integrated into Latronico’s close-knit community, interacting with locals by walking in the park and shopping in the stores.
People call Kenny “Bellissimo Angelo,” or “the most beautiful angel,” she says. At the grocery store, give him candy bars and holiday treats. Most of the shopkeepers know some English or use translation apps to communicate if necessary.
“The store owner helped me find the right item many times,” Elser says. “When our neighbors walk down the street and see new tiles on the sidewalk or new windows, they say ‘boono’ and give us the thumbs up.”
This welcoming village is a striking contrast to Crossville. In Crossville, she says, neighbors are more likely to complain than compliment, and it takes a 20-minute drive to get to the store.
“People seem to be more satisfied with their lives,” she added. “I understand that many young people have moved to places where they can get more because of the economy, but those who remain seem happy and don’t always feel competitive.”
At home, he practices occupational therapy with special grip crayons, puzzles, and special toys. Once a week, they drive to a nearby large town to purchase items such as printer ink and furniture. The town’s gentle pace of life also helps Kenny avoid overstimulation, a common source of stress for people with autism.
“We are happy with our calm, routine life. Once he starts school, I plan to focus on learning Italian because he will eventually need to pass his driving test. I also plan to take up some hobby crafts, such as quilting,” she says.
Kenny’s diet has also improved. He loves eating carbohydrates like croissants and pastries for breakfast instead of protein-heavy American breakfasts like eggs, ham, and bacon. The cost of living is significantly lower than in Tennessee, especially when it comes to food prices. Many prescription drugs are available free of charge under Italy’s public healthcare program.
Elser says she enjoys a simpler life in Latronico, with fewer visible signs of consumerism. She doesn’t have a TV at the moment, but Kenny says that’s okay.
“I’m doing a lot less impulse shopping. Everything I need is right there in town,” she says.
