Italy is giving away free castles

For a lot of Londoners, owning your own home is just a dream, so the idea of a holiday house is even more far-fetched.

But the cash-strapped now have the opportunity to own a slice of countryside on the Continent thanks to a new scheme from the Italian Government.

As part of the ‘Strategic Tourist Plan’, Italy is giving away more than 100 buildings, including castles, old convents and historic towers, in order to stop them falling into ruin.

So what’s the catch?

Well, you can’t just bag a castle and up sticks to live there. Prospective owners need to transform the property into something that would lure in tourists, such as a boutique hotel or a swanky private villa. The idea is to bring travellers to the less well-trodden areas of Italy, and relieving the strain on jam-packed city destinations like Venice, Rome, Florence and the Amalfi Coast. Could this be your chance to quit the rat race and run that quirky B&B in the Italian countryisde?

"The project will promote and support the development of the slow tourism sector," Roberto Reggi from the State Property Agency told The Local. "The goal is for private and public buildings which are no longer used to be transformed into facilities for pilgrims, hikers, tourists, and cyclists."

The buildings are all in remote areas of Italy, with 44 of the sites on historic or religious walking routes and the rest along cycle paths. Ones up for grabs include the 13^th century Castello di Montefiore in the Marche region and the 11^th century Castello di Blera in Lazio, not too far from Rome.

How does it work?

You have to submit a proposal outlining a clear plan for the building. You’ll own the rights to the property for nine years, with the option of renewing your contact for a further nine.

The Italian government is targeting entrepreneurs in the under-40 category, who are eligible for an ‘Art Bonus’. Those who submit really brilliant, tourist-luring ideas, could be given a 50 year lease.

All applications must be submitted before June 26, however this is an ongoing project with another 200 buildings expected to be added over the next two years.

So, where do we sign?