7 Haunting Abandoned Mansions

Abandoned mansions are reminders of an elegant past and the often turbulent events that befell their former owners. Explore seven stunning ruins here!

Villa de Vecchi, Lake Como, Italy

fabrice79 / Via Flickr: fabrice79

Located in the mountains east of Lake Como in Italy, the Baroque house “Villa de Vecchi” is known locally as the Ghost Mansion. The building has been derelict for years and was allegedly the scene of a murder or suicide.

Chateau de Noisy, Belgium

polanri / Via Flickr: polanri

Chateau de Noisy in Belgium was originally named Chateau Miranda and completed in 1866. Designed by an English architect, the striking property was reportedly occupied by the Nazis during World War Two and latterly became an orphanage before being abandoned in 1991.

Wyndcliffe, New York

Joseph / Via Flickr: josepha

Wyndcliffe was one of many grand houses constructed throughout the Hudson River Valley during the 19th Century. Built in 1853 for Elizabeth Schermerhorn Jones – a relative by marriage of the Astor family – the mansion allegedly inspired the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses”. Later owned by Andrew Finck, a New York beer baron, Wyndcliffe was abandoned some time after 1950.

Tyrone House, County Galway, Ireland

Mike Searle / Via geograph.ie

Tyrone House is one of several abandoned mansions in Ireland's beautiful County Galway. Situated on a commanding spot near the Atlantic Ocean, Tyrone House was built in 1779 and used by the Black and Tans during the Irish War of Independence. Later destroyed by the IRA, the ruined structure was acquired by the Georgian Society in 1972.

Abandoned Nineteenth Century Mansion, Spain

Nacho Labrador / Via Flickr: nacholabrador

This 19th century mansion in Spain was allegedly built by settlers returning to the Old World after making their fortunes in the Spanish and Portuguese colonies of the Americas. The abandoned house remains in reasonably intact, having been renovted around 12 years ago by a family from Mexico but never inhabited due to a death in the family.

Ruined Mansion in Portugal

Hugo Cardoso / Via Flickr: hugojcardoso

This elegant ruin was clearly the home of an affluent family before falling into dereliction. Several first floor windows have been sealed, suggesting an effort to protect the structure from vandals and the elements. But the gutted shell and open roof suggest a fire has since ripped through the building, making its future even more uncertain.

'The Ruins', Talisay, Philippines

Aileen Guirnela / Via aileenguirnela.com

Aptly known as 'The Ruins', this skeletal mansion in Talisay City, the Philippines, was once the home of sugar baron Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson. The house was reportedly set alight by US troops during World War Two in an effort to prevent Japanese forces using it as a headquarters. Set amid beautifully landscaped grounds, the Ruins is now a popular tourist attraction.

This article is an excerpt of the full feature 20 Abandoned Mansions of the World by Urban Ghosts.