Italy Is Giving Away Free Castles
If you've ever wanted to live in a castle, now's your chance
Italy is pulling out all the stops to boost its tourism. First came the 24-hour wine fountain, then a small mountain village in Liguria tried to propose a plan to pay people to move there, and now the State Property Agency and Ministry of Cultural Heritage have decided to give away more than 100 historic sites for free, including castles.
But living in one of the castles comes with a lot of responsibility, as those selected must be willing to restore the buildings and convert them into tourist attractions including hotels, restaurants and spas. Other sites up for grabs include inns, towers, rural farmhouses and monasteries.
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Some of the properties available include the Castello Orsini-Odescalchi in Bracciano, Rome, the 13th-century Castello di Montefiore in the Marche region, and the 11th-century Castello di Blera in Lazio (located on a cliff just outside of Rome).
If interested, you must submit a proposal by June 26, outlining your ideas on how you plan to turn these properties into something people can't wait to visit.