The small Province of Gorizia in northern Italy is located in the countryside where Friuli-Venezia Giulia wine is made. Terraced vineyards trace the hills right next to Slovenia. It’s a breathtakingly gorgeous location, and now, you can own a castle in Gorizia for free.
Yes, free. That castle in the picture above is being given away free of charge by the Italian government. Is owning an incredible wine region not enough? The place also has history. “A castle located along the river Isonzo, where there are remains of fortifications” from World War I, the building listing states. “Built at the end of the 18th century for healthcare, the property is on three levels connected by stone stairs.”
As if you needed the description to be sold on the building. There’s just one thing you should know: Anyone who takes the building has to agree to turn it into a tourist attraction. The castle is one of more than 100 buildings Italy is giving away to entrepreneurs younger than 40 in an attempt to draw tourism to little seen regions of the country.
“The project will promote and support the development of the slow tourism sector,” Roberto Reggi, a man working on the project with the State Property Agency, told The Local Italy. “The goal is for private and public buildings which are no longer used to be transformed into facilities for pilgrims, hikers, tourists, and cyclists.”
Each building is along an historic walking or biking path. Anyone who wants a building has to submit a proposal for how they will turn the ignored and forgotten buildings into a hit location. The chosen one will get rights to the building for nine years with an optional nine year extension.
Along with the castle above, there are castles next to Rome and historic fortresses. See the full listing and the paths you can take on the State Property Agency’s website.
