Spanish Village Sold for €300,000: Londoner’s Rural Project

A London pub owner has purchased an abandoned village in the Spanish province of Lugo, Galicia, for €300,000, with plans to revitalize the area through tourism, and renovation. Marcial Raul Doporto, the owner of the London bar, acquired the village of O Penso, which had been uninhabited for 13 years.

Doporto outlined his vision for O Penso in an interview with the Spanish television program Equipo de Investigación, stating, “The project for me is that little by little people approach here to perform and make their life with different things, a little tourism, a little renovation…” He acknowledged the financial strain the purchase placed on him, adding, “I have to do it calmly, because now I’ve run out of money.”

While fully committed to the project, Doporto does not intend to relocate permanently. He plans to divide his time between O Penso and London, where his wife works and his daughters are in school. “For the moment, we are going to continue living in London as well,” he said. He anticipates spending approximately half the year in the Galician village.

The purchase of O Penso reflects a growing trend of rural depopulation in Spain, leading to the sale of abandoned villages. Equipo de Investigación previously reported on the sale of similar villages, highlighting the challenges and opportunities associated with their revitalization.

Doporto’s investment aims to breathe new life into O Penso, attracting individuals seeking employment and a different lifestyle. The project’s success hinges on attracting residents and developing tourism infrastructure, a process Doporto intends to approach gradually.