Alcatraz-style island prison in Italy to become tourist attraction and hostel

An Italian prison which sits on an island is going to be renovated and turned into a tourist attraction with a museum and private tours.

In a similar fashion to Alcatraz in the United States, the jail will no longer be in use and there will be hostels and an on-site bar.

The tiny island is located in Santo Stefano and can currently only be accessed by scuba divers and fisherman.

There’s no main dock for tourists and the waters around the island are filled with rocks and World War II shipwrecks.

Where's your favourite historical site to visit? Tell us in the comments section…

It was used during the 1930s and 1940s to house prisoners by the fascist government meaning that some detainees were tortured and others drowned.

In the decades after the war the island became a regular prison with a theatre and football field, bakers and even shops.

Prisoners were allowed to make use of trades such as bricklaying and cooks and had their own currency to buy things with.

It was closed in 1965 and then abandoned.

Now, 56-years-later a whopping €70m renovation is going ahead to create a dark tourism hot spot.

You can currently take a tour of the island, but it involves a 40 minute hike and is often cancelled when the sea is tumultuous.

The renovation could be difficult to pull off as there is currently no electricity, no running water and access is difficult.

The island is also in a remote area.

But, Silvia Costa, the Italian official overseeing the rebuild has plans for an “open-air” multimedia museum and a walking exhibition.

Plus, he wants to convert the former jail director house and football field into a hostel with 30 rooms.

He also hopes that the horse-shoe shaped building can become a performance space and to open a cocktail bar by 2025.

Views will include Mount Vesuvius and the gorgeous blue waters of the ocean.

Like what you see? Then fill your boots…

Want to bring a little glamour to your life every day with all the most exciting real-life stories, fashion and even sex tips HOT off the press?

Well, we've got you covered with our great new Hot Topics newsletter – it'll drop straight into your inbox around 7pm and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.

And signing up now means you'll get a front row seat for our great new series inside the lives of the next generation of Daily Star Page 3 girls.

You can sign up here – you won't regret it…

Silvia said: "We want the island to draw visitors all year-round, not just during the crowded summer months.

"Tourism must be sustainable, but Santo Stefano will be more than that.

"It will be a hub for world academics uniting on key issues such as green policies, human rights, freedom of speech, European citizenship and Mediterranean dialogue."

Meanwhile, a flight attendant sparked a debate after sharing her hotel stay safety checklist…

Source: Read Full Article