A series of essays….
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AN ABANDONED ITALIAN VILLA ~ A SHIMMER OF PINK MARBLE AGAINST A BLUE SKY |
….as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E Hughes
We held our breath without realizing it. The need to exhale, slowly, methodically, came as he entered the portal—into the unknown. His blond hair brushes the thick cobwebs that have had permission to accumulate over vast amounts of time. With one gloved hand maneuvering the camera, its attached light illuminating the dinginess, he turns night into day. His other hand opens drawers and cupboard doors revealing dust encrusted, often mundane, household items — abandoned for decades.
Anything neglected or left unkempt for a period of time will have the tendency to sink into a period of solitude and predictable decay. A period when the natural elements thrive in overdrive and civilization rides shotgun with a perfect view of its own demise.
This young, blond man, Maureno Wellens, hails from the town of Maastricht in the Netherlands. He conducts his explorations under the name of Explomo and streams the results on YouTube. His friend and working partner, Remon Vogelaar, accompanies him and together they shine a light on a forgotten world made up of personal collections, treasures, and artwork worthy of a place in many exhibitions and museums. Sadly, these items, along with the ordinary articles that make living day-by-day simple and efficient, are being lost to the elements and common vandals. Maureno and Remon handle everything with a soft touch and replace anything moved or examined to its original position before moving on to another area or room.
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MAURENO WELLENS INVESTIGATING AN ABANDONED CHATEAU |
Courtesy Maureno Wellens
Did these young men secure permits or permission to search these abandoned castles, palaces, and châteaux once inhabited by the upper classes of society in Spain, Italy, and France? Maureno often alludes to the fact that he does not and fully admits to trespassing. If true, this only adds to the mystery and intrigue his extensive probes provide. I admit that there is something fascinating about offering us a peek into a world left behind by relatives unable to pay the exorbitant inheritance tax on a property that once thrived with the help of unprecedented numbers of servants and employees.
The personal legacy of generation upon generation is left behind only to be devoured by nature as vegetation creeps through windows and doors; a certain by-product of neglect. What is a direct assault to my senses is the deterioration of the works of fine art allowed to hang on fading, silk covered walls as black mold spreads itself around and through them! Beautiful wood beams cut from local forests hundreds of years ago, honed to perfection, become skeletal remains exposing the floors above them. Water, humidity, and time have worked their way deep into these cavernous rooms allowing the artisanal craftsmanship to be savagely obliterated, books bloated, personal papers scattered, and fine, handcrafted furniture to rot in place.
A particular chateau located deep into a French forest greatly disturbed me as I entered the realm of YouTube and tuned-in to our blond adventurer to see what finds he had for us that day. This nearly pristine chateau had cradled its final Master in her stately arms up until his death a decade before. Having no children or other blood relatives to will his earthly possessions to, he died knowing that this gorgeous lady was to be abandoned by him at death and left to her own devices.
As our friend revealed the grand entrance hall by pushing the obligatory cobwebs from his path, the scene before him was most unusual compared to the suffering of other beauties he’d explored in the past. Nature had not only been especially kind to this chateau, but it was as if she were patiently awaiting the return of her Master—after all of these years. Her loving arms were held wide open welcoming life, once again, as only she knew it could be.
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CARVED HEADBOARDS SIT IN PLACE AS IF WAITING FOR THE ROOM’S OCCUPANTS TO RETURN FOR THE NIGHT |
How can I aptly describe what we saw? Gilded-framed masterpieces of all sizes hung by the hundreds on every wall. Intricate tapestries adorned any remaining spaces. Crystal chandeliers hung from their lofty positions overlooking each room like sparkling sentinels that triggered the eye to absorb the colorful, hand painted and well preserved ceiling frescos that looked not much older than the young explorer filming them.
Elegant plates stacked high with matching serving dishes lined the inner shelves of burled-wood veneered breakfronts in the dining room. Another cabinet door opened to expose crystal glasses in varying heights lined up like obedient soldiers waiting in time to once again serve refreshments to the rich and powerful, industrial magnets and political leaders, who gathered there from all over France. I imagined them to be filled and then gently clinked together to toast a lucrative new deal or promote a ‘gentleman’ into an office of particular importance and power in Paris.
Artisan carved headboards lorded over unexpected made-up beds of colorful, rich materials that still resided in the ornately arched alcoves so reminiscent of French design. Rows of clothing hung from racks while pairs of shoes neatly lined the walls within the two walk-in closets that bookended the bed alcove and gave one the idea that the Master would soon be retiring.
There were books and more books everywhere! They sat openly on nightstands and tables. They were displayed in both glass-fronted and enclosed breakfronts in every room of the chateau. Children’s rooms burst with animated stories on every shelf, table, and nook of the neatly appointed rooms. They were as prolific as the dust particles and cobwebs that had recently become an undesirable focal point of the chateau’s decorative design.
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THERE ARE BOOKS, BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK. THESE TREASURES ALONE ARE WORTH SALVAGE EFFORTS! |
Our host and fellow explorer handled each item, turned every doorknob and latch, replaced each newspaper and personal letter he used to secure dates from, with love and the utmost care. He gently replaced everything he temporarily disturbed in its original place and position. His shock at having not a single looter plunder the contents of this chateau after the Master’s demise was as genuine as our own. I thought that if he was fortunate enough to have found this place to explore and delight in, others would be certain to follow. That thought disturbed me. He is careful never to give out any clues as to the location of his abandoned finds and genuinely marvels over how anyone or circumstance could allow for the eventual loss of such importance and beauty to happen.
I imagine a curator of most any museum, if watching our friend on his missions of discovery, would swoon over the artifacts Maureno is bringing to light. I don’t know anything about French law, but I am aware of how protected the homes of the French citizen are from any intrusion of strangers walking in and proclaiming rights to the property and its contents. I first became aware of this fact when abandoned Paris apartments, somehow overlooked by German troops invading Paris during World War II, were recently discovered with their incredible contents untouched, but silently ravaged by time. An ornate wooden door has finally been unlocked and opened after nearly three quarters of a century of obscurity and silence!
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SUCH BEAUTY AND HISTORY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO FADE INTO OBLIVION! |
Perhaps this is the mission statement for the work of our fine, young explorers as they point out the need to protect these beautiful and vulnerable properties. By bringing attention to their sheer existence, Maureno and Remon hope that someone responsible will intervene to preserve these historical treasures and their invaluable contents.
There is so much in this life that gives me pleasure. These trespassers for a good cause keep me riveted to my seat and in constant awe of their findings. I can only hope that a percentage of these abandoned properties are saved in the near future — and, maybe, resurrected once again to the glory that they so righteously deserve. I applaud the efforts of Maureno Wellens to help make this happen!
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FADING INTO OBSCURITY |
Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
