Real-life Hansel and Gretel house built by reclusive pair "to lure children in"

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The path leading up to the almost hidden home (Image: mediadrumimages/@tesoriabbandona)
The path leading up to the almost hidden home (Image: mediadrumimages/@tesoriabbandona)

A house that looks like something from the fairytale Hansel and Gretel was built by two reclusive siblings, who were rumoured to have lured children into their enchanted garden.

Carved princess statues adorn the outside of the house and murals cover every wall depicting scenes from classic fairytales.

The house in Veneto, Italy was home to two siblings named Alice and Nellino.

The two brothers were both teachers and artists.

The siblings were reclusive, living as outcasts without electricity, gas or running water. They lived solely off the produce they grew and the livestock they kept.

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Alice and Nellino transformed their home into a fairytale wonderland, painting and sculpting fable characters into every inch of their home - with images of Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio and other mythical creatures such as goblins, elves and dwarfs.

Real-life Hansel and Gretel house built by reclusive pair "to lure children in"Sculptures adorn the front of the house (mediadrumimages/@tesoriabbandona)

The two even decorated their unused TV with images of the famous singers Luciano Pavarotti and Katia Ricciarelli.

Like something out of a fairytale, rumours circled that they would enchant their garden to capture and eat children, becoming akin to the witch from Hansel and Gretel.

It is believed that the remains of the siblings were buried in a communal grave in their back garden.

These images were taken by technical writer and urban explorer Federico Limongelli, also known as Tesori, in the Paduan countryside.

Real-life Hansel and Gretel house built by reclusive pair "to lure children in"Even the TV is painted over (mediadrumimages/@tesoriabbandona)

He said: "They transformed their home into a fairytale world where fantasy reigned over everything.

"Their art was transferred to everything around them: they painted the walls with imaginative subjects and decorated every nook and cranny with strange beings.

"Alice had a quite eccentric style, in fact, she always sewed the clothes that she wore and she loved to wear them with heels even if she was always relegated to the house.

Real-life Hansel and Gretel house built by reclusive pair "to lure children in"A garden full of sculptures (mediadrumimages/@tesoriabbandona)

"Nelly, on the other hand, occasionally went to the village to make small purchases, such as the material needed to make their creations.

"Due to their extravagance and their different lifestyle from the rest of the inhabitants of the town they were labelled as 'weird' and various legends and rumours circulate about them, such as for example that the 'enchanted' garden served to attract children to their home, children who, once captured, were killed and eaten.

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"It was also believed that the remains were buried in a mass grave in the back of the house."

Kelly-Ann Mills

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