CHÂTEAU ASHER - PRESS RELEASE
Renovation Alert: Abandonded 1600's Property gets picked up by Ashley M. Lands & Èros Brousson
While it hasn’t all been sunshine and roses for the pair, Lands and Brousson have found themselves renovating at an interesting cultural moment. The rise of the so-called “Insta-renovator” — often an amateur documenting the realities of renovating a home for an online audience — has attracted its share of scrutiny in the popular press, including the Financial Times.
Lands, however, has graciously leaned into the discourse, admitting in one post: “I never wanted to renovate a house. I just wanted a home. Somehow, we ended up here.”
Fatherland premiere, Cannes Film Festival, 2026
Perhaps that is precisely the charm: the project has never pretended to be a masterclass in renovation. It is, instead, a rather public education in what happens when aesthetic ambition meets the considerably less photogenic realities of an old house.
Read the original press - release on Qwoted
Thanks to the internet, audiences are following Ashley M. Lands, one of hospitality’s youngest rising figures, and her French boyfriend, comedian Éros Brousson, whose online comedy has earned him a devoted international following, as they restore an abandoned 17th-century château tucked within the walls of a medieval Italian castle village..
Originally built by the Church in the 1600s, the home is adjacent to the village bell tower, giving its rooftop terrace what may be one of Italy's most extraordinary views. On one side, the terrace overlooks the historic clock tower; on the other, it looks directly across to Castello Brancaccio, placing the home within the very walls of the medieval castle itself.
The restoration officially began on May 25, 2025, when Ashley documented the property's first walkthroughs on @landshouseandhome. What followed was far from the polished renovation reveals audiences have come to expect. Early videos captured Ashley in a hazmat suit clearing decades of dust while mold remediation crews worked through rooms that had become nearly inaccessible. Although the property was initially believed to have been abandoned for approximately ten years, longtime residents of the village later shared that the home had likely not been fully occupied since the early 1980s.Rather than rushing toward a flawless finish, Ashley and Èros have embraced the slower philosophy of historic preservation.
While it hasn’t all been sunshine and roses for the pair, Lands and Brousson have found themselves renovating at an interesting cultural moment. The rise of the so-called “Insta-renovator” — often an amateur documenting the realities of renovating a home for an online audience — has attracted its share of scrutiny in the popular press, including the Financial Times.Lands, however, has graciously leaned into the discourse, admitting in one post: “I never wanted to renovate a home. I just wanted to buy candles.”Perhaps that is precisely the charm: the project has never pretended to be a masterclass in construction. It is, instead, a rather public education in what happens when aesthetic ambition meets the considerably less photogenic realities of an old house.
"If you're following this project, you're going to see cracked walls—for a while," Ashley recently shared. "I see so many people buy abandoned homes and plaster everything new because it's quick, budget-friendly, and modern. Those are three things I don't align with. I'd rather become part of this home's history than erase it. The owners in the 1970s already covered so much of what made this house special. My goal is to uncover it again. This home has stood here since the 1600s. It deserves to be honored."
The couple has publicly stated they do not plan to move into the home until September 2026, allowing the restoration to unfold with the patience and craftsmanship a 400-year-old building deserves.
This project offers more than a remarkable renovation. It is an invitation to follow the revival of a centuries-old home in real time, where history, craftsmanship, and modern life intersect against the backdrop of one of Italy's most enchanting medieval villages.AboutThanks to the internet, audiences are following Ashley M. Lands, one of hospitality’s youngest rising figures, and her French boyfriend, comedian Éros Brousson, whose online comedy has earned him a devoted international following, as they restore an abandoned 17th-century château tucked within the walls of a medieval Italian castle village..