I’m so excited to share this exclusive look inside this historic Italian residence. There’s so many reasons my private tour inside this unknown gem in Popoli is one for the books. For one it’s the birthplace of Italian aeronautical engineer Corradino d’Ascanio, who designed the first production helicopter, for the company Agusta, designed the first motor scooter for Ferdinando Innocenti and helped Enrico Piaggio produce the original Vespa.
Secondly, it is privately owned and currently closed to the public as it has been proposed to become a museum. In these photos you can see the d’Ascanio’s first helicopter propeller prototype he built as a teenager with his mom’s bedsheets.
Thirdly, the untouched room gives you a authentic glimpse into history. The home was built in the beginning of the 1800’s, only this parlor was able to be photographed. The beautiful ceiling fresco has fallen off as you can see in the pictures above. I love how on one of the deconstructed walls you can see the different types of wall decor that was used over past 200 years.