People who own or live in this 500-year-old house, rumored to be cursed, often face tragic and unfortunate circumstances.
The Venetian Gothic palace, known as Ca’ Dario, has gained notoriety for bringing misfortune to its occupants, including individuals of wealth and prominence. According to legend, those who owned or stayed in the building for more than 20 days met grim fates—ranging from death and murder to financial ruin. Even local fishermen steer clear of casting their ropes near the cursed palace, giving it the eerie nickname of “the house that kills.”
Built in 1479 for aristocrat Giovanni Dario, the house later came into the possession of his daughter Marietta and her husband Vincenzo. Tragedy struck when Vincenzo was fatally stabbed, and shortly thereafter, Marietta took her own life in the Grand Canal. Following these events, their son Vincenzo Jr. met his end in Crete at the hands of assassins. These successive misfortunes have contributed to the eerie and haunted reputation of Ca’ Dario.
The cursed legacy of the house continued when British scientist Radon Brown became its owner. Within just four years of owning the house, he faced financial troubles and the exposure of his same-sex romantic relationship. The scandal deeply affected him, ultimately leading to his and his partner’s suicides in the palace in 1842. Some speculate that these deaths may have been a murder-suicide.
A similar fate befell American millionaire Charles Briggs. After acquiring the palazzo, he was accused of being gay and fled to Mexico, where his partner died by suicide.
The property remained empty for the first half of the 20th century. In 1964, the world-renowned operatic tenor Mario del Monaco entered talks to buy the property. However, on his way to Venice to finalize the deal, he was involved in a serious car accident that made him reconsider his decision. The house’s unfortunate history persisted, with each new owner seemingly encountering tragic circumstances.
The troubled saga of Palazzo Dario continued in the 1970s when the Count of Turin, Filippo Giordano delle Lanze, purchased the property. Sadly, he met a tragic end when he was murdered by his lover, Raul Blasich, who himself later died violently after fleeing to London. The palace then passed into the hands of Kit Lambert, the manager of The Who. However, Lambert reportedly chose to stay in a nearby hotel, claiming that the house was haunted by numerous ghosts.
In the ’80s, Venetian businessman Fabrizio Ferrari bought the house and moved in with his sister Nicoletta. Unfortunately, their time at Palazzo Dario was marked by misfortune. Ferrari lost all his assets, and tragically, his sister died in a car accident. Later in the same decade, financier Raul Gardini acquired the property with the intention of giving it to his daughter. However, faced with economic setbacks and scandal, Gardini died by suicide in 1993. The string of untimely deaths and misfortunes surrounding the palace persisted, adding to its ominous reputation.
In the early 2000s, Woody Allen considered buying Palazzo Dario but reportedly changed his mind upon learning about the strange and tragic deaths linked to the house. As recently as 2002, John Entwistle, the original bass player for The Who, suffered a heart attack just a week after renting the palace.
According to local beliefs, the curse might be connected to the fact that the building was erected over an ancient Templar cemetery. The noticeable lean to the right of the structure, said to be caused by a settling of the foundation, only adds to the mystery and speculation surrounding the cursed past of Palazzo Dario. The stories of tragedy and premature deaths associated with the house have turned it into a subject of both fascination and caution for anyone considering ownership or visiting.
