We spent today seeking out the beautiful villas of the area and we were spoilt for choice. This is Adriano’s stamping ground from when he was a child and came here on holiday to stay with his grandmother who ran what was called a Colonia, a holiday home for children during the summer school break. These homes originated from before the war and continued until the early seventies, when society had changed enough for there to be no more need for these, the families now affluent enough to take their children away on holiday with them. The Adriatic coast was teeming with these massive buildings and now most of them lie abandoned in all their splendid glory, forty years later. Most sit on spacious grounds and one wonders why no one has ever restored them. It’s so easy to dream of what one would do with them but the amount of money required to restore them would be outside the pocket of the ordinary citizen. In a couple of days, I will show you the well-kept villas but today I want to show you one of these abandoned ‘colonie’.
This was one of the most important ones of the area at the time and today is completely encircled by a high wire fence. The grounds are the size of Buckingham Palace and the buildings would be not much smaller than the palace itself. Anyway, Dario, who has just created a post-apocalyptic video for a university photographic assignment was determined to get into the grounds to photograph the buildings and, after much searching, we found a hole in the fence, which we all crawled through.
We tramped through woods invested with mosquitoes and vipers. Alex was wearing a delightful summer sunfrock so her legs got bitten to death by the mosquitoes whenever she stopped moving but the effort was well worth it for these images of the decaying buildings.
One can but blink like a genie and imagine the place in its heyday, full of happy, laughing, screaming kids getting their vitamin D and having so much fun! One would think there would be so many uses of such buildings: be they for the young or the old! Such beautiful surrounds! Oddly, last week I saw a very similar situation right on our side of the world on TV: buildings similarly going to rack and ruin on a beautiful Cambodian beach from before the horrors time: had also housed children on holidays . . .
At the entrance to the property, there was a big signboard with a little of the history of the place and photos of what it looked like – very different. The land was bare with very few trees and the building was clearly visible whereas now it is immersed in woods. I too always imagine historical places as they once were. I loved doing that at Pompeii with the help of a few photos which showed how spectacular it looked.
That is quite a coincidence that you saw that on TV. I was in Cambodia a few years ago and they still have massive problems but it is such a peaceful country full of friendly people. Quite a contrast to how it was not that long ago. Such enormous sadness lingers there in the form of large numbers of orphans and innumerable land mines which continue to maim and kill.
Suzanne
It’s so beautiful. So sad to let something like that just rot away. It would be lovely to see it restored. The driveway to the home is gorgeous. I would be very happy in one of the out-buildings xx
Me too, Charlie. The main building would require to much housework. The smaller ones would be just perfect.
Suzanne
we often snoop around old derelict buildings when we are in Europe, mainly France and dream of owning them and running a cooking school from it…one day!
A cooking school? What a great idea! We have almost bought a couple over the years but common sense usually sets in in time. The red tape surrounding the restoration of these properties is impossible and that is what often means they stay derelict. Such a shame.
Suzanne
Gorgeous. Old buildings and houses are so romantic in my opinion. I love brick, you don’t see much but stucco and newly built cookie cutter houses here in Phoenix. The chimney is so pretty.
I think they are romantic too – it is such fun imagining what they could look like. Though, having restored numerous houses myself, I know the work is anything but romantic. LOL.
Suzanne
Wow, what a great old building. But I’m with those that would be fine with one of the outbuildings – the main house is enormous. Sounds like a fun day. Thanks for bring us along (through your pictures)!
There are so many similar buildings in this area that one does wonder why something can’t be made of them. It must be the cost and the red tape.
Suzanne
You’ve made some good points there. I looked on the
net for more info about the issue and found most
people will go along with your views on this website.