By: Alex
A job ad that looks suspiciously like a “reality show” has recently gone viral on social media. Participants are required to spend 30 days on an isolated island (an abandoned castle), and those who complete the challenge can win $40,000 (approximately HK$310,000). In fact, as early as mid-last year, the location of this supposed “reality show” gained widespread attention among gamers for resembling a fortress from an RPG game.
▲Scola Tower was built in the 16th and 17th centuries by the Republic of Genoa. (Photo by norbert_frroku @IG)
This pentagonal sea fortress, known as Scola Tower, is located in Porto Venere in Italy’s La Spezia Province. It was constructed in the 16th and 17th centuries by the Republic of Genoa to protect the territory and nearby villages. It is said that the outer walls of the sea fortress were 120 cm thick, manned by eight soldiers and equipped with ten cannons. Later, when British and French fleets fought nearby, the fortress was destroyed in battle. The Republic of Genoa was also annexed by the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1815, and the sea fortress has since become a deserted ruin.
▲Scola Tower (Photo by norbert_frroku @IG)
The turbulent history of Scola Tower didn’t end there. Years later, the Italian navy used it as a target for practice shooting and even planned to demolish it. Fortunately, a local education official successfully lobbied to preserve the fortress. After many more years, the fortress was converted into a lighthouse, and then in 1976, after four years of restoration, it became what it is today.
▲The sea fortress walls are 120 cm thick, manned by eight soldiers and equipped with ten cannons. (Photo by norbert_frroku @IG)
The supposed job ad claimed the island (Scola Tower) is 100 miles (approximately 160 km) from the coast. However, checking the map reveals that the fortress is only about 250 meters (the length of five standard swimming pools) from the nearest land. One can imagine that the eight soldiers stationed there might have led rather dull lives, but they certainly weren’t “trapped” on the island for 30 days in complete isolation like the participants in the so-called “reality show.”
▲Scola Tower is actually quite close to the mainland and is not a truly isolated island. (Photo by VAncilotti @Twitter)
In fact, Europe is home to numerous castles situated on isolated islands. Some are still well-preserved, while many have fallen into disrepair and are now piles of rubble. Below is a selection of eight world-renowned or uniquely distinctive structures located on isolated islands—see which one might become the next viral sensation.
▲Lake Iseo, Italy (Photo by rubens.ph @IG)
▲Lake Iseo, Italy (Photo by rubens.ph @IG)
▲Church of the Assumption, Lake Bled, Slovenia (Photo by cumacevikphoto @IG)
▲Church of the Assumption, Lake Bled, Slovenia (Photo by kevinrawalsh @IG)
▲McDermott Castle, Killarney Forest Park, Ireland (Photo by bokehm0n @IG)
▲McDermott Castle, Killarney Forest Park, Ireland (Photo by rawdublin @IG)
▲Castle Stalker, Lough Leane, Ireland (Photo by jack_anstey @IG)
▲Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France (Photo by jack_anstey @IG)
▲Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France (Photo by jack_anstey @IG)
▲Visovac Monastery, Croatia (Photo by jordanmcfal @IG)
▲Bella Island, Lake Maggiore, Italy (Photo by mattenry.raw @IG)
Source: Zhai Zhai News