Muggle Title: Il Castello di Santo Rappacio or the Castle of Saint Rappacio
Magical Title: Il Riposo dell’Alchimista or Alchemist’s Rest
Location: a small, unnamed, unmapped island in the archipelago of Malta; it is unofficially referred to as Santo Rappacio which is the name of the tiny town located there. However, the castle itself is under the Fidelius charm. Bathilda Bagshot is his secret keeper.
Provenance: Dumbledore was granted the island in gratitude for his defeat of Grindelwald.
The Name: Saint Rappacio is the Italian patron saint of magic, magical potions and, some say (although most scholars dispute this), magical poisons. The name was the inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story, Rappacini’s Daughter. The name Rappacio is a derivative of the Italian word “rappaciare” which means “to calm”.
The House: More of a villa than a castle, Dumbledore built it on the ruins of a medieval fortress that dated back to the Crusaders’ era. The era appealed to his sense of romance, theatricality and justice. The architecture is a mix of styles resulting in an effect that could be described as Edgar Allen Poe meets the hanging gardens of Babylon with just a touch of Hawthornian passion. Hawthorne cared about guilt, sin and redemption - all themes that are highly appropriate with regards to Dumbledore…
The Lands: In keeping with his love of sweets, he wanted to be surrounded by sweet things, succulent fruits and fragrant flowers. The lands include:
- A vineyard
- An orchard
- An alchemist’s lab
- A mountain top observatory (a small mountain a la Monticello)
- A labyrinth
- A naturally occurring sunken or underground pool
It also includes multiple gardens:
- A flower garden
- An herb garden
- A kitchen/vegetable garden
- A potions master’s garden
Occupancy: He spends part of every summer there, taking Fawkes with him. Guests have included Nicolas Flamel and his wife Pernelle as well as Bathilda Bagshot. Otherwise, almost no one knows it exists. He fled here briefly when the Ministry attempted to arrest him. It’s assumed that the Ministry has no idea of its location. Even if it did, it has no jurisdiction in Malta.
The Caretaker: Of course he’s not there most of the year so the estate must be maintained in his absence. Most of this is handled by various elves who came entailed with the land. However, he does have an agent with offices in Palermo (Sicily) and Rome to handle legal matters for him in absentia.
Who inherits it after he dies? Ahh well, that’s a whole other story…