Living with ghosts: a journey through Italy’s and the world’s most haunted houses

Across the world, it is possible to stumble upon places steeped in mystery and fascination. Haunted houses echo with the whispers of the past, their eerie presence still lingering within the walls. This is an invitation to embark on an adventurous journey through haunted villas and castles, delving into myths and legends and uncovering the dark secrets of forgotten corners.

New York’s haunted houses

The Big Apple is a hub for the supernatural. There is even a dedicated tour, the Haunted History Trail, which leads visitors to some of the most spine-chilling locations. Among them is Grapevine Farms in Cobleskill, an 1850s farmhouse now transformed into a gift shop and bistro, but still home to the spirits of its original owners, Mr and Mrs Hiltz. Their voices are said to echo eerily from the second floor.

Equally unsettling is Batcheller Mansion in Saratoga Springs, a stunning Victorian-era building now operating as a luxury inn and a sought-after venue for weddings and special events. Yet, beneath its elegant façade lurk shadowy presences that visitors and staff alike claim to have sensed.

For the bravest ghost hunters, the Rolling Hills Asylum in East Bethany is a must-see. Known as the second most haunted location in America, this former institution has a dark history filled with unexplained deaths. Used as a set for horror films, the asylum has long been the subject of paranormal investigations, with reports of ghostly voices and eerie laughter echoing from empty rooms.

The phantasmagorical castles of Europe

Venturing into Europe, one of the most haunted locations is Edinburgh Castle, towering over the Scottish capital. Here, ghosts have become permanent residents, including the spirit of The Lone Piper. According to legend, a young boy was sent into the castle’s underground tunnels to explore, playing his bagpipes to mark his path. He was never seen again, but the sound of his instrument is still said to drift through the corridors.

Norway, too, has its share of haunted fortresses. The Akershus Fortress in Oslo, once a brutal prison, is now considered the country’s most haunted site.

In Austria, the Moosham Castle holds a particularly chilling reputation. During the infamous witch trials, countless women and girls were tortured and executed within its walls. To this day, visitors claim to hear their sorrowful cries in the air.

The haunted houses of Italy

The journey into mystery ends in Italy, among the haunted houses of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna.

In Cortenova, a small town in the province of Lecco, Casa Rossa (Red House) awaits, offering an eerie, almost otherworldly experience. It is not just its survival of a devastating landslide that makes it remarkable, but the chilling tales linked to its abandoned halls. The wails of a woman are said to echo through the empty rooms (perhaps those of Countess De Vecchi, who was brutally murdered within these walls by her own husband).

Further south, in Rimini, Montebello Castle is home to one of Italy’s most famous ghost stories. Here, visitors may encounter the spirit of little Azzurrina, a child who mysteriously vanished within the castle centuries ago. Legend has it she reappears in the corridors every five years, coinciding with the summer solstice, the very time of her disappearance.

Article translated by Agnese Giardini

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Curiosities

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