Consonno: the ghost town of Brianza. Hear it from the podcast of E-VAI!

Consonno: how to get there by car sharing

How to get there, with E-VAI, it's very easy: just rent a car E-VAI at one of the over 100 stations in Lombardy, electric charging will be included in the price.

To get to Consonno you must first reach Villa Vergano, a hamlet of Galbiate, and here take via Don Minzoni and then via Brianza. Alternatively, you can also start from the town of Olginate and take via Belvedere, which continues on via per Consonno, up to the ghost town.

Consonno: its birth

In the 60s, Italy is in the midst of an economic boom and the country is changing at a breakneck speed. It is in this context that an extraordinary character enters the scene: Mario Bagno. A visionary, a dreamer, someone who sees beyond the horizon of common things. And he has a truly ambitious dream: to transform a small medieval village into a sort of Italian Las Vegas.

Let's go in order. Consonno, before Bagno's arrival, was a quiet village located in the hills of Brianza. A village like many others, with its stone houses, the little church, and a life that flowed slowly and serenely. But Mario Bagno sees something more in this village. He sees the potential to create a place of entertainment and luxury, a destination that would attract visitors from every corner of Italy and beyond.

Mario Bagno was born in 1901 in Milan, into a family of modest means. From a young age, Mario demonstrated a natural inclination for the business world and an innate ability to see opportunities where others saw only obstacles.
In the 30s and 40s, Mario Bagno founded his own construction company, specializing in the construction of road and rail infrastructure. This period was characterized by great changes and opportunities in Italy, a country that was rebuilding after the devastation of the war. Bagno seized these opportunities with both hands, rapidly expanding his business. His company stood out for the high quality of the works it produced and for its innovation in construction techniques.

His passion for extravagant architecture and entertainment venues leads him to conceive projects such as Consonno, where he imagines an entertainment city that can rival the great capitals of world tourism. Bagno is fascinated by the idea of ​​creating something unique and spectacular, a place that can amaze and enchant anyone who sets foot there.
And so, in 1962, Bagno purchased the entire village of Consonno. But to realize his ambitious project, there was an obstacle to overcome: the inhabitants. The inhabitants of the small village were in fact evicted to make room for Bagno's vision.
Bagno's idea is to create a city of toys, a place where people can come to have fun, to dream, to leave everyday life behind. And so luxury hotels, dance halls, restaurants, shops of all kinds arise. There is even a race track for cars! Consonno is transformed into a place of wonder, an attraction without equal.
But Mario Bagno doesn’t stop. He wants Consonno to be a place in constant evolution, always in step with the times: every year, new projects, new ideas, new attractions. It is a river in full flood, a vortex of creativity and innovation.

In the 60s and 70s, Consonno became one of the most popular destinations in northern Italy. People flocked to see this fantastic city with their own eyes, to live a unique experience. The evenings were animated by glittering parties, events of all kinds, shows and concerts. It was a period of great splendor, a golden age that seemed destined to last forever.

Consonno: the years of glory

As soon as you entered, you were faced with an almost surreal landscape: brightly colored buildings, bizarre constructions and an atmosphere of perpetual celebration. Every corner of the city was an explosion of vitality and creativity. It was as if the entire world had been condensed into a small village in the Brianza hills.

The city was teeming with visitors, attracted by its wonders. Some came to stay in the luxury hotels, some to dance in the glittering ballrooms and some to browse in the numerous shops and boutiques. Every weekend, the streets of Consonno filled with families, young couples, groups of friends, all eager to live the unique experience offered by this magical place.

The evenings were a real spectacle. Grand parties took place everywhere: in the squares, in the clubs, in the hotels. There was always music in the air, laughter and chatter. The lights shone until late at night, creating an enchanted atmosphere that made visitors forget the outside world.

It wasn't just the parties that made Consonno special. The city hosted events of all kinds: theater shows, concerts, car races. Every week there was something new to discover, a new attraction, a new event. It was as if the city never slept, always ready to surprise and delight its guests.
And then there were the permanent attractions: the Chinese pagoda, the minaret, the medieval castle. Each building was a small work of art, a piece of a puzzle that told stories of distant worlds. Walking through Consonno was like going around the world in a few hours, an experience that left everyone speechless.
Visiting Consonno was a way to escape the daily routine, to immerse yourself in a fantastic world where everything was possible.

Consonno: the decline

The first sign of crisis came in 1976, when a landslide hit the main road that connected Consonno to the rest of Brianza. This landslide not only interrupted vital connections, but also represented the first blow to the heart of Bagno's dream.

The landslide of 1976 was not a random event. The land on which Consonno stands is made up of layers of rock and clay, which, under the weight of the structures and heavy seasonal rains, began to give way. Already during the construction of the city, some experts had warned of geological risks, but their concerns were downplayed. The landslide was caused mainly by soil erosion and the lack of adequate drainage measures, which could have mitigated the risk. This natural disaster not only cut off vital connections for the city, but also represented a severe blow to the local economy. Repairing the road took significant time and resources. Initially, there were attempts at repair, with workers and engineers called in to stabilize the ground and rebuild the road. However, the repairs proved insufficient. Each new rainfall threatened to cause further landslides, and confidence in the safety of the road was now compromised. Without a convenient access route, visitors began to decline dramatically. The consequences were devastating: businesses closed, attractions emptied, and nightlife disappeared. The landslide of 1976 was the first blow to the heart of Mario Bagno's dream: the city slipped into a period of abandonment and decadence. And without visitors, Consonno began to lose its splendor.

But the landslide is not the only problem. The 70s brought with them economic and cultural changes that also affected Consonno. Italy was going through a period of economic crisis and political instability. In addition, new cultural trends and changes in the way of living and traveling meant that places like Consonno were starting to seem a bit dated.

Mario Bagno tries to counteract the decline with new ideas and projects, but the new attractions fail to bring the public back to the levels of the past, and the dream slowly begins to crumble.
As the years passed, Consonno became more and more of a ghost town. The buildings, once full of life and color, began to show signs of abandonment. The lights went out, the music stopped, and the streets emptied. All those extravagant structures became silent monuments to a broken dream.
Slowly, even the few remaining residents left the city. Hotels and restaurants closed one after another, and Consonno became a place of desolation and silence.

Yet, despite all this, Consonno retains a certain charm. There is something poignant and fascinating in seeing a place that was once so vibrant reduced to a pile of ruins. It is as if the ruins tell a story, the story of a grandiose dream that, for a brief moment, became reality.
Today, walking among the ruins of Consonno is a unique experience. Every building, every corner tells a story of past greatness and inevitable decline. It is a place that invites reflection, to think about the fragility of dreams and the implacable force of time.

Consonno: how it is today

Structures that were once symbols of opulence and fun are now covered in graffiti, with plants and trees growing through cracks in the walls and streets. The iconic Chinese pagoda, with its colorful roof, is still there, or at least it was until 2018. The minaret, once glittering in the sun, is now a silent tower that watches over the surrounding landscape.
Despite its decay, Consonno has an undeniable charm. There is something poetic about exploring a place that has been abandoned and forgotten. Every corner of the city tells a story, and every building is a silent witness to a bygone era. It is as if the walls themselves speak, telling of glittering parties, laughter and broken dreams.

For many urban explorers, or “urbex,” Consonno is a must-see destination. Armed with cameras and flashlights, these modern adventurers delve into the ruins in search of evocative views and stories to tell. Their photographs capture the hidden beauty of Consonno, transforming decay into art.
But it’s not just urban explorers who find interest in Consonno. In recent years, there have been several attempts to recover and enhance the site. Cultural events, festivals, and guided tours have brought some life back to this forgotten town. These efforts not only help preserve Consonno’s heritage, but also provide an opportunity to reflect on its unique history.

Visiting Consonno today means immersing yourself in an atmosphere of melancholy and wonder. Every step among the ruins is an invitation to imagine what this place must have been like in its glory days. It is an experience that stimulates the imagination and invites reflection.
Consonno is a monument to the power of dreams and their fragility. It is a place that reminds us that even the grandest projects can vanish, but that beauty and inspiration can also be found in ruins.