Consonno

An abandoned theme park somewhere high in the mountains of Italy.

The first history of Consonno dates back from a parchment from 1085 where the small town was mentioned under the name of "Cussono". 

In 1162 it became the property of the Benedictine monastery.

The town of Consonno is also mentioned in a statement on the lands of the Duchy of Milan and related taxes dating back to 1538. 

In 1751 the community was then about 140 inhabitants and was lead by a city council.

Although Consonno was inhabited by different people, it was stated as a private property.

In 1853 Consonno had reached 230 inhabitants.

Following the birth of the Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946) in 1861, Consonno was still growning and according to the law, the community had to have a mayor and a city council.

In 1928 Consonno counted nearly 300 inhabitants, was incorporated to the nearby town of Olginate.

After the two world wars, most of the community fled and Consonno was abandoned with only 50 inhabitants left.

In the mid 1960s, an Italian entrepreneur Mario Bagno bought up all the land of Consonno.
He kicked out the remaining residents by razing their homes.

Mario Bagno had a dream to transform Consonno into a Italian Las Vegas.

The town would have malls, restaurants, ballrooms and a luxury hotel, each in a unique architectural styles.

When it opened in the late 1960s, it welcomed weekend partiers and played host to weddings.

In 1976, karma hit Mario Bagno, a landslide wiped out the only road into Consonno.
And so, his dream drowned away as well. 

Even though Bagno's dream was gone, he didn't wanted to give up on Consonno.

He tried to revive the town as a retirement community, but when he passed away in the 1990s, the town was left to decay.

Now it's just a ghost town used for its annual hide and seek game.


A picture of the park in the 1970s 


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