In a move to reduce at least a bit of its ballooning national debt, Italy's government has told its miliary to find buyers for 33 sites no longer needed by the armed forces, including a 16th-century castle in Capua.
The castle, about 16 miles north of Naples, was built on orders of Charles V, who was Holy Roman Emperor and whose empire stretched across Germany, Austria, Spain and Italy. It was built between 1522 and 1543.
The plan has drawn outrage from FAI, Italy's organization for preserving heritage buildings, which says "We should protect our cultural assets, they are vital. Depriving the public of a jewel like the Charles V castle should not be debatable."
The centuries haven't been kind to the castle, which unlike some others did not become a luxurious palace; instead , once its fortress role ended it served, at various times, as a prison, a factory for military explosives and a warehouse. It is not used at all at present.
Altogether, the government hopes to raise about €240 million from selling off the 33 sites, which include palaces, villas, army barracks, military warehouses and, in a separate sale, three lighthouses. The value at auction might be much higher for properties that could see re-use for tourism or hospitality.
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