While exploring Venice, Italy, one TikTok creator created a video explaining how he may have stumbled on a vampiric dwelling. The viral video now has over 1.1 million views, as Rich (@therichb) discussed a shop in the heart of Venice with an eerie origin story.
“OK, I’m in Venice, Italy, and I remember many years ago I met a very old man who told me that there was a store that rumor had it was owned by a vampire,” he said. “I laughed, and he told me where the store was located.”
The man proceeded to show his audience the ornate furniture and objects inside the windows and the store’s door—which notably did not let in much light into the building and was closed.
“That’s the door [right now because] it’s daytime,” he explained.
Commenters joked that Rich “found the Volturi,” a fictional coven of vampires from the Twilight series, but many were rightfully creeped out by the building’s ominous atmosphere. Some wondered what the building’s origins were and why it was known as a “vampire house.”
In a second TikTok, Rich says his concierge brought a note in Italian to him. The card refers to a customer, Mr. Richard, and is signed, “See you in the lazzaretto in the vineyard. Mr. M,” according to TikTok user @neejoni, who translated the card.
When Rich looked up what Lazzaretto (Nuevo) was, he “freaked out.” It was allegedly a vampiric island off the coast of Venice.
Venetian vampire
One commenter, @tiff_crowe, asserted that Venice had a tangible vampiric history. That’s actually true, with findings from 2005 supporting the idea that Venice has an evident vampiric history.
On the Venetian island of Lazzaretto Nuovo, researchers found the skull of a woman who had been killed using an ancient vampiric death method. During the 1400s, the island had an established black plague hospital, the Lazzaretto Vecchio. During that time, it was believed that vampires may have caused the plague, which led to increased paranoia.
A store owned by a vampire in Venice
While Rich didn’t refer to the store by name, commenters believe that the location’s name is Palazzo Dario, or Ca’ Dario. The Gothic-style building has remained a fixture of the Grand Canal since the 1400s, but it isn’t exactly seen as a “vampiric dwelling.” Rich referred to the “vampiric” notes as a possible prank of some kind in the description of his first video, saying, “Here are Vampires in Venice. (PART 2 POSTED. PROBABLY A PRANK!)”
The actual building was originally commissioned for Giovanni Dario, a Venetian official who assisted with the end of the First Ottoman–Venetian War. After Dario’s death, his daughter, Marietta Dario, inherited the palace, which passed to her husband, Vincenzo Barbaro, after her death. The building stayed in the Barbaro family’s possession until the 1800s, which marked a turning point for the Ca’ Dario. After being sold to a spice merchant, multiple owners bought and then sold the property.
A series of unfortunate events
Many Venetian locals believe the building is cursed due to the misfortune that apparently befalls those who own it. It’s rumored that whoever lives in the house will go bankrupt or commit suicide. Many Venetians think that a Templar cemetery was underneath the building during its construction, which cursed the Ca’ Dario and caused its residents misfortune. This is specifically because Marietta Dario, Giovanni Dario’s daughter, was the first to die by suicide. Her husband, Barbaro, eventually went bankrupt after her death.
From then on, a pattern emerged where residents would experience some sort of misfortune. Italian operatic singer Mario del Monaco attempted to buy the property. However, he stopped pursuing a life at Ca’ Dario after a horrific car accident. Other residents have been murdered or developed worsening mental health issues. Kit Lambert, a producer and manager for The Who, developed more severe addiction issues while living in the Ca’ Dario.
@therichb #italy #vampire ♬ original sound – Rich B
The Mary Sue has reached out to @therichb for comment.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
