CASTLE OF CHERRIES

Surrounded by rolling hills and charming villages, Castle of Cherries may at first glance seem as old as the beautiful castles of fairy tales, but in reality it is a “false historical” built in the early twentieth century.

The works for its construction began in 1910 and lasted about 10 years.
Its owner, a well-known architect of the time, spared no expense to give his wife a castle of great taste and beauty.

Inside our castle there are 153 rooms, all finely frescoed and decorated, which recall an ancient taste as it was fashionable at the time.
And let’s not forget the large park that surrounds it of about 170,000 square meters.
The original furnishings come from all over Italy and Europe, as well as the valuable paintings now kept in a museum.
Castle of Cherries was a luxurious and wealthy mansion that had nothing to envy to other castles.

In 1931 they arrested the owner following the bankruptcy of a French bank and the castle closed.

After the end of the Second World War, Castle of Cherries was slowly abandoned, with the vegetation that day after day hid those rooms where once musical notes and dancing couples resounded.

The years passed and in the 1980s he found new tenants, but not rich landowners but from criminals.

It was June 7, 1980, when the Italian newspaper l’Unità published this title: “The biggest heroin factory in Europe”.
After an operation that lasted 5 months and required 170 men, the financial police discovered two heroin labs right inside Castle of Cherries, one in the guesthouse and one in the tower.
The story seems to come straight out of Breaking Bad, featuring 4 of the best chemists at drug refining in the world.
The 4 will be caught behind armored doors in the tower refining about 100 kg of substances for heroin production.

All promptly arrested and together with the owner of the castle, responsible for the sale of the goods.

But as if drugs weren’t enough, a mystery is also added to the history of Castle of Cherries.
During further checks, following the breaking through of a wall, the police found a zinc box with a decidedly macabre content.
I have not been able to find information on this find, but I hope that the perpetrator has been punished as he deserves.

But even after this, Castle of Cherries has been very well preserved.
The frescoes in all the rooms are perfect and brightly colored, with a depiction of St. George killing the dragon to welcome us at his entrance.
There are no furniture or objects inside, but even if empty it remains spectacular with its large rooms with bright colors and huge fireplaces.
In 2016 it finds a new owner and its destiny is to become a cultural center, but to this day it still remains empty and abandoned on top of its hill.