Italy is giving away hundreds of castles for free!

Have  you ever longed to reign over turrets and spires in your own kingdom? Desired to be the king or queen of the castle, ruling over the dirty rascals? Thanks to the Italian State Property Agency you may have the opportunity to turn your childhood fantasy into an actual reality - and it won't even cost you a cent.

They agency are giving away 103 historic castles, farmhouses and monasteries across Italy this year in a move that they hope will liven up their tourism sector in 'lesser-known' areas. It's rumored that an additional 200+ castles will also be up for grabs in the next two years.

Inevitably, there's a caveat to this offer. Applicants to the scheme must submit a proposal detailing their plans to revamp the property and make it tourist friendly - be it as a B&B, spa, restaurant, hotel, amusement park or otherwise. The castles will be awarded to those with the best plans for nine years, with the option to extend ownership for a further nine years. 

Take a look at some of the properties up for grabs below:

Some cool, some creepy - there's no doubt these gems will be quickly snapped up, and we can't wait to see what becomes of them!

Photos: Gennaro Leonardi, Iris van Wolferen, Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti