For Sale: This Amazing Technicolor Castle

The Castello di Sammezzano is a show-stopper, a jaw-dropper. Hidden away in the Tuscan hills of Northern Italy, this electrifyingly beautiful Moorish castle was built a whopping 400+ years ago in 1605, and for more than two decades it was neglected, sitting empty and vulnerable to vandalism — until now. Once on the brink of…

From Elizabeth Taylor to Adolph Hitler, Presenting History’s Greatest Decoys

First things first, we’re about to spill the contents of a very mixed bag of history’s greatest eccentrics. It’s one filled with impersonators, decoys, and body doubles throughout the 20th century who’ve got one thing in common: they’re really, really good at getting under someone else’s skin. From Andy Warhol to Adolf Hitler, some of…

For Sale: Your ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ Fixer-Upper Awaits

When Matthew Hampshire drops us a line, we know it’s time to head into the belly of yet another crumbling beauty. This time, the photographer gave us a peek inside one of his lushest expeditions to date, in the hills of northern Italy at the ghostly Villa Moglia. Step behind her gates for yourself, but…

Forget Venice, Float over to its Technicolor Island Neighbour

It’s easy to forget that Venice isn’t the only magical, slightly weird water world around. The Venetian lagoon is home to more than 30 other inhabited islands, one of which is Burano. The stuff of dreams, prettier than a Greek island, ‘charming’ wouldn’t even begin to cover it. An hour’s boat ride on the public water…

Mission Martini

My week was starting out just like any other when I received a mysterious email in my inbox. I was invited to Italy to discover Turin, the hometown of Martini. I had a 15 minute window to decide if I could jump on a plane in the next 24 hours and spend the next 3…

Vintage Muse du Jour: Mina Mazzini

What happens when you put two tons of glitter, a killer voice, and a dash of Surrealism into a blender? You get “the Queen of Screamers”, Italian songstress Mina Mazzini. She was the reigning bad girl of Italy’s airwaves in the 1960s and ’70s, raising everyone’s eyebrows but her own–which she shaved off, naturally– and…

Check in to the Most Beautiful Insane Asylum in the World

When you picture a mental asylum, this is probably not quite the image that pops up. Stark hallways and dungeon-like holding cells is what Hollywood has taught me to imagine, but over in the rolling hills of Tuscany, flying over the cuckoo’s nest was done in style once upon a time… Photographs (c) Alex Doomer Palatial grounds,…

Oh just a Phallic Bar in a quaint Sicilian Town

In the hidden romantic town of Taormina, Sicily known for its turquoise beaches, quaint shops, and views of Mount Etna, lies a curious and unsuspecting restaurant known as Bar Turrisi. The locals will tell you only that it is the “world’s strangest” or “most interesting” bar– and a must-see when in Taormina. At the top…

If Romeo & Juliet had gone House-Hunting Together

What if Romeo hadn’t drank the poison? What if Juliet had awoken to find her beau alive & kicking at her bedside and they’d ridden off into the sunset in search of a love nest, to live out the rest of their days happily ever after? Now that would be a house I’d like to visit. And…

Time Capsules of Lake Como

It’s not often that you browse through real estate pages feeling a nostalgia rushing through your insides and tugging at your heart strings, but that’s exactly what happens when I find myself digging through the property inventory of Lionard (specialists in big empty Italian castles for sale). This can’t be right… I say to myself as I click through rooms with incredible art…