Private island was a rich man's paradise before a series of gruesome murders, unexplained deaths and tragedies left it slowly rotting away
A private island lies rotting as its sinister past has sent its residents running for the hills.
The 'cursed' island of Gaiola was once a hotspot for the rich, but it is dark and twisted history of disappearances, drownings and murders.
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Gaiola is located off the coast of Naples and while some think it's a scenic picnic destination (because it's so close to the coast you can swim to it), no one has dared to set foot there for years.
The deserted and isolated island has only one crumbling villa rising above the murky waters.
The location was once popular with the ancient Romans, who built a temple to Venus there.
Legend has it that the legendary Roman poet Virgil, then known as Euplea, was a fan of the island and taught his students there.
The place is steeped in ancient legends that keep locals far away to this day.
In the 19th century, a hermit nicknamed 'The Magician' lived on the island, who was able to survive thanks to the charity of fishermen.
The wizard has mysteriously disappeared and many locals now believe he cursed the island before leaving.
Shortly after his departure, a villa was built on the island.
Hans Braun out Switzerland lived on the island in the 1920s.
Tragically, he was found dead with his body wrapped in a carpet.
Shortly afterwards his wife drowned in the sea.
The next one owner, a German named Otto Grunback, died of a heart attack while staying at the villa.
Another owner, Maurice-Yves Sandoz, went mad shortly after purchasing the property and later committed suicide in a Swiss psychiatric hospital.
The island also once belonged to Gianni Agnelli, the head of Fiatwho then caused many of his relatives to die.
Multi-billionaire Paul Getty bought the island shortly after his grandson was kidnapped.
And the last owner of the island, Gianpasquale Grappone, who owned a insurance company, was shipped jail because of a debt.
The island has now been abandoned out of fear and the villa remains uninhabited as it slowly falls into disrepair.
It is now owned by the authorities of the Campania region, who created the Gaiola Underwater Park and declared the area a marine protected area.
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