The famous saying “a man’s home is his castle” is especially true when it’s made of beer cans. Because you’re not a real man unless you drink crappy watered down beer out of an aluminum can. DO YA HEAR ME, PEOPLE!?!
A set of four shining towers, Cano’s Castle in Antonito, Colorado, was built out of beer cans and other metal scraps by one man, Donald “Cano” Espinoza, a Vietnam vet who’s been living in a trailer next to the folk art environment since 1987. Why doesn’t he live in his self-made castle, you ask? Well, he built it as a BIG thank you to Jesus Christ for sparing his life during the Vietnam war so it belongs to Jesus…thank you very much. Another reason? The castle is off the grid because apparently only Jesus is okay without having running water. But Cano never intended to live in the castle. It was his solution to cleaning up the never-ending pile of beer cans and other junk in his front yard. I say, why not? I love it when someone makes something interesting out of garbage. The four separate structures (“the king”, “the queen”, “the palace” and “the rook”) are made not just out of flattened beer cans but also wire, hubcaps, screen doors, grills, and even bicycle reflectors. The castle is free for anyone to look at (I mean, how can you not?) but if you want to speak to Cano himself, that will cost you a dollar or two.
