Venice's most cursed palazzo plagued by 'death and bad luck' hits market for €20m
The historic building is said to have brought bad luck to many of its former owners
A 15th century palazzo in Venice, said to be cursed by tragedy and misfortune, is on the market for a reported €20 million.
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The nine-bedroom home sits along the Grand Canal and also has eight bathrooms, huge reception halls and a roof terrace looking onto the city.
But the Ca' Dario palazzo, described by estate agents as an "architectural gem," has struggled to sell due to its alleged haunted past.
The property is said to be linked to a dark past, linked to a string of deaths, suicides, and bad luck.
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It is understood that offers in the region of €20 million (£17.3million), may be accepted.
Its former owners include The Who's former manager Kit Lambert, and was originally built in 1489 for Giovanni Dario, a merchant and diplomat who negotiated a peace agreement with the Ottomans.
When Dario died, the palazzo was passed onto his daughter Marietta and her husband but his spice merchant business collapsed and he was stabbed in a fight.
Marietta later took her own life and the couple's son was killed in Greece, in a suspected vendetta-style ambush, soon afterwards.
In 1896, French poet Henri de Régnier stayed as a guest in Ca’ Dario but contracted a serious illness and had to leave the city.
Decades later in the 1960s, celebrated operatic tenor Mario del Monaco planned to buy the palazzo but was seriously injured in a car crash while travelling to view it.
It was eventually bought by Italian aristocrat Count Filippo Giordano delle Lanze, who was killed inside the property by his lover, a Yugoslav sailor, who fled to London, and was later murdered himself.
Italian tycoon Raul Gardini purchased it in the 1980s, but he too took his own life, after becoming embroiled in a corruption scandal.
The palazzo was bought by an American firm in 2006 on behalf of its current owners, whose identity has never been made public.
Arnaldo Fusello from Christie's International Real Estate, who are handling the sale, told The Telegraph: "If you look at any palazzo in Venice that is 500 years old, you will find that, of course, plenty of tragic things happened over the centuries.
"I have been inside the property maybe 150 times and I can tell you I never felt a shiver down my back – unless the windows were open in the middle of winter."
He added that the building is "beautifully preserved" and would not require an extensive restoration or a substantial investment.
The estate agency added: "Ca' Dario is not just a property: it is a piece of history, a noble residence with deep roots and a bright future, perfect for those seeking elegance, prestige and an authentic connection with the most exclusive Venice."