This country has at least 5,000 ghost towns with skeleton-like stone ruins. Italians call these abandoned towns «sleeping beauties», scattered all across the country.
The uniqueness of Italy's ghost towns lies in the fact that the setting here looks beautiful – there is a certain eerie charm to it. In these settlements, where no one has lived for a long time, there are moss-covered churches, ruined medieval abbeys, crumbling Renaissance fortresses, crypts adorned with coats of arms, and heaps of dusty objects left behind by local residents fleeing strange occurrences.
Craco, Basilicata
Local residents swear that the town of Craco resembles the skull of a giant animal. That is because the ghost town consists of abandoned cave houses dug into a reddish rocky hill. Here every dwelling looks like a grave pit. When a landslide struck Craco, from which people fled, the town froze in time. Some doors are still painted blue, and the roofs are covered with creeping plants. Several films have been shot here since then, including «James Bond: Quantum of Solace».
Sostila, Lombardy
The abandoned buildings of Sostila are grouped around an intact church bell tower and a school, where textbooks and pencils left by pupils still lie on the desks, and chalk writing remains on the blackboard. Inside the dilapidated houses the floors are cracked, and the walls are blackened with soot and studded with horseshoes. Here there are forgotten rusty pots, ladles hanging from the ceiling, and open cupboards full of plates. To this day it is unclear why life in Sostila came to an abrupt halt in the 1960s. And some say that at night this place is visited by witches who march through the alleys, holding their heads.
Villaggio Asproni, Sardinia
This is one of the many abandoned gold-rush towns. Once, in the late 1800s, there was a thriving mining center on Sardinia. The workers and their families had homes, small shops, and a school with a playground for the children. But eventually the quarry was emptied, no work remained, and everyone left. They say the ghost of a man who drowned in the blood of miners during a riot, when the workers fought for their rights, still wanders through Asproni.
Buonanotte, Abruzzo
This town sits on a rocky hilltop overlooking an abyss in Abruzzo. Now only a few rickety dwellings and the ruins of a castle remain. The reason for the settlement's demise is murky. According to legend, a battle took place here in the Middle Ages, followed by a terrible night of looting and plunder. But after the town was rebuilt, a series of landslides struck it, driving out the entire population.
The beasts have gone mad: 10 towns taken over by animals
Reneuzzi, Liguria
The ghost town of Reneuzzi – is a truly eerie place. Roofless peasant houses, once home to chestnut gatherers, dot a secluded dense forest, perfect for hiking. In the early 1960s a man killed his girlfriend here and then took his own life. They say his ghost still wanders the surrounding forests.
Rocca Calascio, Abruzzo
High on the snow-capped peaks of the Apennine Mountains, in one of the most inaccessible and isolated places in the central regions of Abruzzo, stands a majestic abandoned fortress. Built by the powerful Florentine Medici family, which controlled all of central Italy, it was once the center of a defensive network of watchtowers. Its grandeur ended when a powerful earthquake shook the fortress in 1703. All the inhabitants moved down the mountain. Since then, sheep and sheepdogs have been the only residents of this place.
Photo: Freepik
Bergiola, Tuscany
A steep stone path leads to the ancient entrance of Bergiola in Tuscany. The heap of ruins here represents the remains of defensive stone walls, arches, and rural houses, now covered with wild vegetation. According to legends, a giant snake named Devasto (which means devastation) lives in the dense forests near the village. It can bring about disaster with a devilish hiss, which is said to sometimes be heard at midnight.
Cancelli, Umbria
A single country road leads to the quiet town of Cancelli in Umbria. Apart from cats and a few shepherd families, no one lives here. The village was abandoned because of an earthquake. But it was once a place of bloodshed. Legend has it that at night the tourists who sometimes come here may hear the echoes of ancient battles between Roman legions and rebellious tribes. Today you can find a dilapidated castle here, ancient Roman stone arches, and a pagan temple turned into an underground crypt.
Apice Vecchia, Campania
The houses, painted in pastel shades, here look, at first glance, in perfect condition. Their wrought-iron balconies overlook winding cobblestone streets. It is almost idyllic, except for the fact that the town is completely empty. After the 1962 earthquake, 6,000 residential buildings were destroyed, although a remarkable number of buildings survived the disaster. Local residents call it the «Pompeii of the 20th century».
