32 Abandoned Cities That Are Slowly Being Reclaimed by Nature

By

Lisette Marie

May 21, 2025

31. Consonno, Italy: A Failed "Las Vegas" Swallowed by Forest

The Minaret at Consonno City of Toys, Lombardy, Italy. Source file demisted and HDR increased using DxO OpticsPro 4 Elite by Acabashi. Italiano: Minareto di Consonno - stato attuale. File sorgente demistificato e HDR aumentato usando DxO OpticsPro 4. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons @Marco Sbroggi

In the hills of Lombardy, Italy, lies the bizarre ghost town of Consonno. In the 1960s, an eccentric entrepreneur attempted to transform this tiny rural village into Italy’s own "Las Vegas," building fantastical, somewhat kitsch structures including a minaret, a pagoda, and grand galleries. The project ultimately failed due to landslides and changing fortunes, and Consonno was abandoned. Today, these surreal, decaying buildings are being aggressively reclaimed by the surrounding forest, creating a unique, almost dreamlike ruin of misplaced ambition.

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