49 Abandoned Landmarks That Are More Beautiful Than Ever

48. Villa de Vecchi – Cortenova, Italy

Often dubbed “the most haunted house in Italy,” Villa de Vecchi is a 19th-century mansion nestled in the Alpine foothills of Cortenova. Commissioned by Count Felice de Vecchi as a lavish retreat, the villa was abandoned after a series of tragedies—including the mysterious death of the Count’s wife and daughter. The mansion’s façade is stained and broken, its grand piano still sits silently in a collapsed parlor, and graffiti now decorates what were once frescoed walls. Locals avoid it. Explorers flock to it. The contrast of majestic design and chilling backstory makes it more than a ruin—it’s an enduring gothic legend, where sorrow and splendor meet beneath ivy-covered stone.