- [Narrator] This surreal fortress
was built on the remains of a medieval castle
by one very curious man.
(inquisitive music)
Rocchetta Mattei is located
in the Northern Alpines of Italy.
Construction began in 1850
and was commissioned by Count Cesare Mattei,
who was a self-taught inventor and quite the eccentric.
His intention was for this castle
to be the home of his medical revolution,
a concept based on using the energy of plants
to heal physical ailments.
His eclectic sensibilities
are reflected in the labyrinth design
of randomly connected rooms.
Mattei passed away at 87 years old, but he didn't go far.
He's buried in the chapel, which is decorated elaborately
as a replication of Cordoba's Mezquita in Spain.
For the last 20 years of his life, he never left the castle;
and after his death, it was all but abandoned until 2005,
when an independent group took over and restored the site,
opening it back up for the public to explore
this very unusual residence.
(chiming)