Villa de Vecchi

INSPIRATION

“Art is never finished, only abandoned.”

Leonardo Da Vinci

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Felix De Vecchi, a Count who had traveled many parts of the world and been a soldier came home to Italy. He bought with him a passion for the East which is reflected in the home he was about to create Villa de Vecchi.

Only in his thirties, it was a time of travel and romance. I imagine him wandering the area near Lake Como and deciding on the perfect place to build his summer house.

He chose the architect Alessandro Sidoli, and work progressed. The many innovations included are well documented, such as the use of heating tubes within the walls similar to those used today. Serving hatches were used to bring food from the kitchens to the upper floors, and the fountain was able to shoot into the air using pressure from the slope of the mountain.

It was a home created with passion and imagination. Extensive gardens and parkland were planted, a keepers house built, parties held, and many summers were spent living a charmed life.

Exquisite decorative fresco’s covered the walls and ceilings, in the hall there are the remains of a grand piano and a huge fireplace in the next room. We can only begin to imagine how glorious it must have been.

Villa de Vecchi was a stunning work created from the imagination of both men.

That it still brings forth such a response so many years later is a fitting testament to the creative genius of these men.

Sadly Alessandro was not to see the final result, he died a year before completion.

The count and his family were said not to live a full and happy life together at the Villa. It’s been reported that one day he returned home to find his wife murdered, her face disfigured and his daughter missing. He searched the woods for weeks without finding a trace. Distraught he killed himself. I do not in any way say this story is the truth but it is the popular story of what happened.

It was 1862, he was only forty six years old.

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After his death the house was passed to his brother Biagio, who at the end of the sixties completely removed the Eastern influence from the keepers house replacing the dome and decorations with stone. The Count’s family owned Villa de Vecchi and spent many summers in it’s beauty till the early forties.

Abandoned for the next twenty years it was sold and has had a number of owners.

This glorious dream a young man began so many years ago fell into decay, the pipes that had been so innovative helping in it’s downfall as they slowly broke within the walls. Vandals and time began the process which continues today.

The urban legend grows with talk of ghosts and tragedy.

Even as I look at these images I can picture Felix De Vecchi strolling through the grounds notebook in hand, dreams in his heart. Those who fell in love with the house and it’s beauty are attempting to save it. The process is complex yet I can only hope it succeeds.

Perhaps the legacy of Felix De Vecchi and Alessandro Sidoli will live on, with help not only from those close by but from all over the world. His story and that of Villa De Vecchi will one day be fully told and shared.

Please note every effort has been made to verify the above information for Villa de Vecchi, if you are able to update, correct or give any further information I would be very happy to hear from you. ciao lisa

images ~ 1 ~ 2 ~ 4 ~ 5 ~ 7 ~ 8 ~ 9 ~ 10 ~ 11

further resources ~ Valsassina News ~ Salviami the Villa (fb) ~ Flickr Jeff Kerwin

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and the gang x

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Janine says:
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Dear Lisa….thank you. This story brought me close to tears. Like an Italian Wuthering Heights or Rebecca. Such a wonderful post and your own passion for the subject and the story shines through in every word. I also love these types of typically Italian initiatives in local communities where pride and passion can really make the difference. Meanwhile I hope all is well with you. I think of you often on your journey. Janinex
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Hi Janine, yes this story haunted me for a few nights. I couldn’t get it out of my head and wondered what happened to the family. I hope to get some more information soon, I find it sad that the main posts about this incredible story seem to focus on the urban myth rather than the simple story of the family who lived, loved and passed through this house.
  
  I do get passionate when reading up on a story and spend days (my hubby despairs) researching, taking notes, and working it all out before putting my own spin on it.
  
  I hope the community can somehow save this building, it would be nice to think of it restored against all odds.
  
  Can’t wait to meet up some day
  love lisa x
Larraine Blackburn says:
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Hello Lisa, Thank-you for your support and Thank-you for sharing the mystery surrounding the Villa.
Could we chat further via email?
Ciao,
Larraine
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Hi Larraine, I’d love to chat further via email, just shooting you something off now x
Belinda Hutchinson says:
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What a sad story. Such a beautiful house that I do so hope becomes restored to it’s original glory.
I can’t help but also think that as much as I like beautiful things they are so not the most important thing to set our hearts on.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  The thing I love about the house and it’s story is that a single image can touch so many people and in some way speak to something within them. Although not the most important thing, I think the gift of Villa de Vecchi will be to have us realize what we let slip away in our lives. love lisa x
Jeff says:
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Lisa,

It seems you had already seen my Villa de Vechi photos. And yes, I visited some other abandoned places on this trip. I mentioned having been in Lazio where I visited a couple of long-abandoned towns, both of which are on nature reserves. One was Galeria Antica, a town whose population was mostly wiped out by malaria in the late 1700s, I believe. There is a glorious bell tower ruin there that I fell in love with! Another was Monterano, destroyed by the French in 1799. The highlight here is a spectacular ruin of San Bonaventura church and monastery. You can find shots of these places here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/triptorome2006/sets/72157629477476508/with/7115333793/

While in Naples I also visited the ruin of a former aristocratic palace, Villa d’Elboeuf, built in 1711 and designed by the great Neapolitan architect Ferdinando Sanfelice – he designed several very unique and wonderful buildings in Naples. This place is along the sea in Portici, a suburb of Naples:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/triptorome2006/sets/72157629665785153/

Feel free to share any of my pics if you’d like. And no, I am not a “real” photographer. Although I’m kind of passionate about it, I don’t possess much technical knowledge and so I’m strictly an amateur. Many have told me that I have a “good eye” though!

I envy your life in Italia. Enjoy. -jeff
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Hi Jeff, I am always surprised at the number of incredible photographers who don’t think they are. Imagine what you could do with some technical training, the gift of a photographers eye is something that can’t be taught. I love your images and will include some in the story as they just tell so much more about the Villa. I’m off to check out the places you mention, and loved your Naples images!! When next you visit Italy I hope we can meet up, I have another friend on fb (Doug Porter from Fresco Images) who is building his folio and you might be interested to take a look.
  ciao for now,
  lisa x
- Emily Atkinson says:
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  How wonderfully impressive, beautiful beyond belief. Thank you for sharing
Lisa Wood says:
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Hi Lisa,

I wonder what those walls could share ~ if only they could talk 🙂

That is one incredible story about a house that should still be in use. Its gorgeous. I wonder if there spirit of the count and his family can be felt in and around the house? It would be so beautiful to see it restored once again.

Thanks for sharing this gorgeous story.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  I wonder about the daughter and if she was ever found, how old she was…what really happened. I don’t think it’s
  impossible to restore just so much red tape and expense. It survived a landslide, years of neglect, and vandals it
  would be lovely to be able to give it another chance.
  ciao lisa x
Annette Piper says:
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Thank you for the background Lisa – fascinating. Sad to see it so overgrown it looks like its sinking into the greenery.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  I have pages and pages of notes which took a while to translate. Much has been made of the haunted side of the story which wasn’t the story I wanted to share. I wasn’t able to find images of the owners or further information about the tragedy that befell them. It seems that red tape has kept the house from being restored over the years. ciao lisa x
Susan Heslington says:
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WOW! Thanks for researching and sharing Lisa. A Tragic, yet interesting story indeed. Well I do hope for their spirits, oneday their whole story will be told and that the villa will become someone else’s dream…. all fulfilled. 🙂
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Susan isn’t it just a wonderful story, and I feel I have only touched the surface. I have so many unanswered questions.
  ciao love lisa x
- Susan Heslington says:
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  Kewl Lisa – I hope you find some more stories and info:-).
- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Susan the stories are never ending ….like the SBS ad’s 6 million stories and counting.
  lisa x
Francesca Muir says:
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Thank you for the story behind this tragic beauty – amazing. F x
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Most welcome Francesca, once I start I just can’t seem to stop and went to bed dreaming of the story.
  ciao lisa x
lindyloumacinitaly says:
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I hope it does succeed so sad to see such places in decay.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Well I like to think that anything is possible and perhaps with an increased awareness of the plight of this house something will be done.
  ciao lisa x
Jeff says:
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Hi Lisa,

I really enjoyed this article, as it filled in some serious gaps in knowledge I had about Villa de Vecchi. I knew it had a dark and sad past, but did not know the real story. I first saw a photo of the villa a few years ago, and sometime last year learned where it was. So on my recent trip to Italy in March (I live in the U.S. and have been vacationing in Italy each year for several years), I made a trip up to northern Italy from Lazio for a couple of day, largely to pay a visit to Villa de Vecchi. I spent at least two hours there, taking photos and reveling in its haunting beauty. I will never forget it.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  How wonderful Jeff, and just knowing that you made the journey especially to visit the house shows what kindred souls we must be!
  It took some time to find information yet the more I searched the more I found, so many incredible images shared through flickr but they are
  of course all copyright so I didn’t like to share.
  
  I’d love to hear more about your time at the villa and see your photos. I could include some here with credit to you if you like.
  have you visited other abandoned places, it is a bit of a passion of mine, ciao lisa x
- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Wow Jeff, I had seen your photos and they are just beautiful! I’d love to record these abandoned places. Are you a photographer?
  What a memorable journey it was for you, ciao lisa x