Villa Branca
THE ABANDONED HOUSE IN SWITZERLAND
On the shore of Lake Lugano in Switzerland once stood the beautiful Villa Branca. The villa was in the village of Melide and belonged to the Branca family. This family were winemakers and used the place both as a home and a wine cellar.
The story of the villa began with a simple cellar. In 1902 a ground floor was built on top. It became the home of Alfredo Branca, a wealthy wine merchant. Ten years later, in 1912, the main house was built. It had three floors. Nobody knows the name of the first architect. In the 1920s, the architect Americo Marazzi from Lugano designed a new right wing. On the hillside, he created hanging gardens and pergolas.
The villa was the most important example of eclectic-liberty style on Lake Lugano. Its style was like a fantasy castle, somewhere between medieval and floral. Gothic windows gave it a special look.
Wine cellar and luxury home
Villa Branca was unique. It was both a working wine cellar and a luxury residence. The cellars, warehouses, and offices were on the ground floor. Above them were large rooms with fine decoration. The villa and its gardens were perfect for parties and quiet walks. Guests admired the house and the view of the lake.
But time passed, and the villa’s glory began to fade.
Abandonment and demolition
In 1981 Adele Branca, the last owner, died. After that, the villa stood empty. In 2007 work began to give the place a new function. But the project stopped only a few weeks later. Four years later, in 2011, Villa Branca was demolished.
Today, five new buildings stand on the spot. Together they form one large block with 49 luxury apartments and a big underground garage.
The original villa is gone, but the memory remains. For urban explorers, Villa Branca is a symbol of lost beauty on Lake Lugano. I was lucky to visit the abandoned villa in 2007, shortly before its end.
