VILLA CENERE [IT]

Exploration #257 Villa Cenere. Villa Cenere is a small two-story house located in the countryside of northern Italy. The name probably comes from the large amount of ash found in the room with the fireplace (and the piano), and from a small fire that affected what was supposed to be a storage room. The room with the chandelier almost completely collapsed in 2024. No more information is available about its history.

VILLA M. [IT]

Exploration #237 Villa M. stands on a small hill and is surrounded by a large green area. Built in the 17th century, it has had subsequent modifications designed by architect Francesco Croce.
The villa presents itself as a rectangular volume with development on three floors. The main façade is enriched by an elegant double flight of steps leading to a closed veranda.
The villa complex also includes an chapel, which is still in use today.

LA VILLA DEGLI ANGELI [IT]

Exploration #224 La villa degli angeli. This villa was probably built in the 19th century and then renovated in the last century. The villa is located in the countryside and was originally divided into two: a more noble part richly decorated with frescoes, and a more spartan area for the servants. The mansion is currently in a state of complete abandonment and there have been collapses in several areas. Even the inhabitants of the small village where this villa is located do not remember its history.

VILLA GOOD LUCK [IT]

Exploration #166. Villa good luck is a small house next to an old farmhouse in the countryside of northern Italy. I have no other information about the place.

VILLA BECKER [IT]

Exploration #157. This villa has its origins in the seventeenth century but its current majesty dates back to the early twentieth century, when it was completely rebuilt by Sir Walter Friederich Becker, a diplomat and important businessman. The exterior was designed by the famous Art Nouveau architect Pietro Fenoglio and the interior decoration (including the furniture, frescoes and table) was executed under the direction of Ernesto Domenico Smeriglio in the Neo-Baroque style.

Sir Walter Becker died in Turin in 1927 at the age of 73. The pale widowed Lady Delphine remarried in 1935 to the Marquis Demetrio Imperiali di Francavilla, thirty years her junior. They continued to live in the villa at Valsalice during the war and even generously converted it into a refuge for displaced persons. When Delphine died in 1943, her second husband inherited her large fortune and later remarried twice more, squandering everything.

There is no precise information on the exact date of the abandonment of the villa. Currently, after being completely emptied and partly vandalised, the house is being renovated. In 2007, Dario Argento set the final scene of the film ‘La Terza Madre‘ here.

VILLA CONCHIGLIA [IT]

Exploration #149. Villa Conchiglia, real name Villa Carpeneto, so called because of the beautiful shell-shaped stucco decorating an elaborate staircase, is a splendid former aristocratic residence of baroque and neoclassical appearance, located in the agricultural plains of northern Italy.

In the middle of the last century, it was proclaimed a ‘National Monument’ due to its architectural merit. Built from a pre-existing medieval castle, the residence has changed hands over time, almost all of them belonging to aristocratic families and important political figures. In 1960, the villa was finally acquired by a Swiss company and since then it has been in a state of gradual decay, now sadly abandoned, unfurnished and neglected.

In 2020, the municipal authority expressed its willingness to purchase the historic residence for the purpose of conservative restoration and cultural functions.

GREEN RELIGION [IT]

Exploration #148. This old farmhouse is now overgrown with vegetation and can hardly be seen from the road. The interior is very dilapidated and the upper floors are impracticable, but there are two small gems that are worth the visit. A small chapel still retains all its splendour, made even more magical by the green vegetation that overlooks what remains of the small altar. In the garden, on the other hand, a very old Fiat 500 lies completely overgrown by nature and is slowly disappearing. There is no information about the history of the farmhouse.

VILLA DELL’ALLENATORE [IT]

Exploration #147. This villa is named after its last owner, a coach of a minor football team from a small village nearby. The villa is littered with photos of teams of young footballers, dinners and matches. There are also numerous certificates of recognition and various items of clothing related to the coach’s life. No information is available on the causes of the abandonment.

VILLA TIMMY [IT]

Exploration #138. Villa Timmy is a gracious abandoned country house in Italy. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any information about it.

VILLA SPECCHI GEMELLI [IT]

Exploration #137. This villa takes its name from a couple of mirrors that are still intact at its entrance. The villa is located in the countryside of central Italy and from the outside looks like just an old farmhouse. The walls of its rooms were originally decorated with very fine paintings and tapestries. Now unfortunately the whole property has been devastated and vandalized.