Well known for the legends and paranormal stories surrounding it,Villa De Vecchihas been described as one of the seven most haunted houses in the world. Also nicknamedRed Housebecause of the color of its facade, Villa De Vecchi stands in the mountains near Lake Como, and its history began in the1858when architect Alessandro Sidoli designed it on commission from the countFelice De Vecchi.
With a beautiful 130,000 square meter garden covering the entire area, the building served as the town's meeting place for almost a century.
A particularly interesting feature was undoubtedly the valuable interior furnishings, which arrived by ship from all over the world thanks to De Vecchi's passion for the Orient.
Photos bysarairene_photo📸
THE LEGENDS THAT HAVE HAUNTED THE RED HOUSE FOR YEARS: SIMPLE RUMORS OR TRUTH?
The urban legends that have haunted this place seem to be deeply entrenched, and they continue to spread thanks to frequent visits and investigations on the web by numerousGhost Huntersand paranormal researchers.
Some rumors say that, after returning from a walk, Count De Vecchi found his wife and daughter brutally murdered inside their own home. After the count's death, it seems that the house fell into ruin, haunted by sinister presences and paranormal phenomena.
Among the many apparitions reported at Villa De Vecchi, however, the most disturbing seems to be a ghost who, every night, plays a melody on thepiano, which is actually located in the main hall and is now destroyed, but still audible outside the walls. It is also said that the Count himself appears on certain occasions, frightening regular visitors, who claim to have seen his silhouette wandering around the garden or inside some of the rooms.
Photos byAlex Falcone📸
Apparently, even the famous English esotericist and occultistAleister Crowleywas involved, who would have stayed for a couple of nights inside the Red House practicing rituals and black masses, managing to summon the devil himself.
Around these stories there always seems to be a thread of confusion, so much so that they are often denied by Giuseppe Negri, a member of the last family that owned Villa De Vecchi, who claims that no murders or crimes were ever committed there, and that there was never even a trace of the progressive Aleister Crowley. For Negri, the only major crime committed within the house is undoubtedly the state of neglect of a precious piece of Lombardy's historical memory.
❝It's all lies. Children from all over the village used to play on that lawn. It breaks my heart to see the place in ruins like this.❞
Giuseppe Negri, 81 years old, son of the last caretakers of the manor.
It seems, rather, that the de Vecchi family died in1938of natural causes, and during World War II the prestigious building was used as a home for displaced persons, until it was purchased in 1959 by the Medici family of Marignano. During the 1980s, the furniture, along with paintings and various furnishings, were completely destroyed.
Photos byFabio CrespiandAlessia📸
THE CURRENT STATE OF THE STRUCTURE
Villa De Vecchi today is completely unsafe and in an advanced state of neglect. In 2017, a young woman who went into the manor with her boyfriend to explore, accidentally fell downstairs after the staircase collapsed, sustaining multiple injuries and requiring helicopter rescue. It is important to note that visiting the Red House is extremely dangerous.
In the 2000s,FAI, took steps in an attempt to save this magnificent building, but the cost of restoration, estimated at around €6 million, made it impossible to experiment or implement any recovery plan, along with the considerable difficulty encountered in obtaining the necessary permits and authorizations for any intervention.
There is also a committee that is lobbying and hoping for the future and renovation of the villa, but one of the many problems encountered is the mountain next to it, which poses a serious hydrogeological threat to the structure, making any intervention impossible.
Photos byAndrea Bignotti📸
With all the myths and historical facts surrounding this fascinating place, it's hard to say for sure what really happened inside these four walls.
But one thing is certain: Villa De Vecchi continues, and will continue, to be on the lips of all those curious and passionate about urban exploration and the paranormal. Today, in fact, there are still numerous visitors who come from all over the world just to visit or simply photograph the Red House.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS IN NO WAY
TO ENCOURAGE THE READER OR INVITE TO EXPLORING.
ALL LOCATIONS MENTIONED WITHIN THE URBEX CAFE
ARE IN RUINS AND ARE OFTEN A DANGER OF COLLAPSE.
WHOEVER DECIDES TO VENTURE OUT TAKES
EVERY CONSCIOUS RISK.
LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS AND TAKE ONLY PHOTOS.
