Saturday 23 April 2016 11:43 am

“A plague on both your houses”: The Shakespeare property index

By: Jake Cordell

"Money buys lands, and wives are sold by fate," wrote William Shakespeare in The Merry Wives of Windsor.

But exactly how much land a wad of cash will get you is, as we know, different around the world. In the spirit of the 400th anniversary of the Bard of Avon's death, estate agents Knight Frank have had a look at how house prices are performing in the spots of Shakespeare's most famous plays.

Will's winners

There was decidedly nothing rotten in the state of Denmark last year, as Helsingor topped the list as the best performing property location. The town, picked as the modern day setting for Hamlet, saw prices shoot up by 14 per cent in the 12 months to February, according to Knight Frank.

Read more: A Shakespearean tube map

“It is fitting that Helsingor topped our rankings for house price growth, given that Hamlet is widely-considered Shakespeare’s most commercially successful play," Kate Everett-Allen, residential research partner at Knight Frank said.

Lear's losers

It was more of a Midsummer's Nightmare, however, for Greek property owners, as prices in Athens dropped by 4.8 per cent over the last year.

"Italy proved Shakespeare’s favourite backdrop with The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar and Othello all set in either Venice or Rome. However, despite the playwright’s fondness of the region, prices in both Italian cities have declined in the last year," added Rupert Fawcett, head of Knight Frank's Italy division.

Around the Globe

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