It's become known as the 'little Italy' of Wales — but it's not Portmeirion. In fact, unlike that world famous attraction, the chances are you've never come across it before.
But this is an astonishing place where around 200 objects — made up of replica buildings, statues, plaques and curios — are being uncovered from overgrown vegetation. As the site is cleared, volunteers have been left bewildered by the sheer number of creations scattered across a small woodland in southern Eryri.
“Every time I pulled away more ivy, I thought 'Bloody hell, there’s another one',” said Jonathan Fell, the site’s curator. At the last count, around 200 objects had been unearthed, a big increase on the 30 that had been previously known about before conservation work began. Everywhere there are iconic Italian buildings, from Florence’s Duomo to Venice’s Rialto Bridge. Among the new discoveries, there were a few surprises: a miniature English village, a cat cemetery and a Venetian canal, possibly once filled with running water.
