Tranquil Life: A Vacant House Bedtime Story

Throughout Europe, countless houses lie abandoned—remnants of a long urbanization process that, since the Industrial Revolution, has steadily pulled populations toward metropolitan centers. These empty structures, especially prevalent in deindustrialized towns, embody the paradox of a continent where housing shortages in major cities contrast sharply with widespread vacancy elsewhere. Most were built during the postwar economic boom, when private homeownership was seen as both a personal aspiration and a political tool to foster social stability. However, younger generations often view these inherited homes as burdens—ill-located and outdated—preferring metropolitan apartments despite rising rents. As new housing developments continue, older homes fall into disrepair, expanding an underutilized real estate stock for which there is no clear economic function. Industrial decline, digital commerce, and changing lifestyles have diminished the need for such spaces, and tourism has failed to revitalize peripheral areas. Yet from a non-human perspective, these buildings may still hold value—as habitats for biodiversity and microclimatic refuges scattered across the landscape. This text builds on recent work in cultural anthropology and architectural biography to propose a shift in how we perceive and narrate abandoned homes. It begins by telling the story of one such house, from the moment its last inhabitant leaves, to explore new imaginaries beyond conventional use.