Clarese Partis, a 39-year-old software designer from Los Angeles, has always wanted to work from an offbeat spot far from the crowds.   So when she was offered such an opportunity, she instantly grabbed it. 

Last week, Partis landed in the Sardinian village of Ollolai in Italy for a free stay paid by the local municipality. It’s part of a program aimed at digital nomads who want to temporarily relocate to work in the center of the island, amid farmers and grazing sheep.