Castello dell’Artista, Italy

Castello dell’Artista is a 600 year old house in northern Italy. The palace was once home to an artist, as the codename suggests. Rustic furniture and trinkets fill the house. There are moulded plaster cornices, frescos and chandeliers. The palace has spectacular natural decay, and is completely free of vandalism. The whole building is slowly and naturally dissolving over time.

Despite the disrepair, it has only been abandoned for 15 years. The main hall ceiling is collapsing. The tall tower is teetering, on brink of collapse. Tension belts and braces hold together many of the walls. Despite these efforts, large cracks are forming everywhere. The palace will one day simply fall apart.

We visited Castello dell’Artista during the Italy Road Trip 2018 – The Greenhouse Tour.

History of Castello dell’Artista

This wonderful building is located in a small Italian village. Originally, the first property on this was owned by a brotherhood of monks. After some time a wealthy aristocratic family acquired the land. The family commissioned construction of a palace, to be their family home. Construction began during the14th Century. This first phase of construction continued into the 15th Century. Additionally, it was expanded in the late 17th Century.

The most recent resident of Castello dell’Artista was a talented man. He was an artist, as well as an engineer. The artist lived here, with his wife and many children. He enjoyed a long life here, in this spectacular home. However, everything must come to an end. The children grew up and moved away. Eventually, the artist passed away leaving his wife alone in the palace. She lived a long life, and was well over 100 years old when she passed away. The palace was left empty. It is not known why the children of the couple have not claimed the home, nor many of the belongings inside.