They say a man’s home is his castle, and Marcio Matolias can definitely agree with that. That’s because he’s been living in a sandcastle on a beach in Rio de Janeiro since 1995. With a crown on his head, Marcio carefully retouches his sandcastle, sculpting and smoothing it with a shovel as sunbathers take a dip in the ocean nearby. In Barra de Tijuca, a wealthy beachside neighborhood west of Rio, neighbors and friends call Marcio “The King.” He gladly assumes the role and poses willingly for passersby — scepter in hand — on his throne outside his meticulously-sculpted home. It seems a precarious existence, but Marcio can never see himself living any other way. “People pay exorbitant rents to live in front of the sea. I don’t have any bills and I live very well,” said the 51-year-old. His “home” does, however, require constant upkeep. He retouches a turret here, adjusts a majestic gate there. He sprinkles water on the walls to keep them firm in the baking heat. Space inside the sandcastle is tight — about 32 square feet. Marcio, single and with no children, lives with a pile of books and some golf clubs, his passions after fishing. His bed? A sleeping bag on the ground. His bathroom? The fire station about 100 feet away, where he can use the bathroom and shower for less than a dollar. Marcio believes he has everything he needs. To make a living, the sand king sells used books to tourists, and from time to time, a shopping center pays him to make one of his magnificent sand sculptures for special events. If a man’s home truly is his castle, the sand king is the king of his. You know what they say, though: a foolish man builds his house upon the sand. In this case, however, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
