Calling All Princesses: Italy Is Literally Giving Away a Bunch of Castles

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By Abby Hepworth, PureWow

[post_ads]If you’ve ever wanted to live in a castle high on a hill overlooking the Italian coast, now’s your chance. Seriously. The dell'Agenzia del Demaniois, an Italian government agency, is giving away over 100 buildings, including multiple castles and palaces, along historic pilgrimage and walking routes throughout the country. But, of course, there’s a catch.

It’s not all knights, dragons and wizards—you’ll be put to work. If you’re selected, you’ll be granted the property for nine years with the purpose of developing it into a tourist attraction. “The goal is for private and public buildings which are no longer used to be transformed into facilities for pilgrims, hikers, tourists, and cyclists,” said Roberto Reggi of the State Property Agency.

The deadline to apply is June 29. So if turning a charming countryside monastery into a bed-and-breakfast or a medieval post office into a lunch spot for day hikers sounds like a project too good to pass up, then you better start cracking on the application. And maybe brush up on some Italian while you’re at it.

 

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