This surreal fortress was built on the remains of a medieval castle by one very curious man.
这座超现实城堡修建于一座中世纪城堡的废墟之上,其修建者也颇有意思。
Rocchetta Mattei is located in the Northern Alpines of Italy.
罗切塔马泰伊城堡坐落于阿尔卑斯山北段的意大利。
Construction began in 1850 and was commissioned by Count Cesare Mattei,
城堡始建于1850年,最初倡议建造这座城堡的是塞萨尔·马泰伯爵,
who was a self-taught inventor and quite the eccentric.
此人是一位自学成才的发明家,也是一个怪胎。
His intention was for this castle to be the home of his medical revolution,
他原本是想将这座城堡建成他的医疗改革基地,
a concept based on using the energy of plants to heal physical ailments.
通过植物的能量来治疗身体疾病。
His eclectic sensibilities are reflected in the labyrinth design of randomly connected rooms.
他兼收并蓄的情感也反应在了如迷宫般随意相通的房间设计里。
Mattei passed away at 87 years old, but he didn't go far.
马泰在他87岁那年离开了人世,但他并未走远。
He's buried in the chapel, which is decorated elaborately as a replication of Cordoba's Mezquita in Spain.
他被安葬在了城堡的教堂里,教堂则仿照西班牙科尔多瓦的《梅兹基塔》进行了精心的装饰。
For the last 20 years of his life, he never left the castle;
在生命的最后20年里,马泰从未离开过城堡;
and after his death, it was all but abandoned until 2005,
在他离世后,一直到2005年,城堡一直处于废弃状态,
when an independent group took over and restored the site,
后来,某独立组织接手并修复了该遗址,
opening it back up for the public to explore this very unusual residence.
城堡这才重新对外开放,外界才得以探索这座不同寻常的居所。