(Image: paolo s, cc-sa-3.0)

When the Irpinia earthquake of 1980 decimated Romagnano al Monte in southern Italy, the hilltop village was abandoned in favour of a replacement settlement several miles away. Eventually, after 20 years of silence, the ghost town became a popular tourist destination amid the stunning scenery of the Campania region.

(Image: paolo s, cc-sa-3.0)

Located in the province of Salerno, Romagnano al Monte is one of several ghost towns in the region that fell victim to the earthquake. Its narrow streets and abandoned buildings give it the feel of a crumbling medieval town, despite electricity cables and other remnants of modernity.

(Image: paolo s, cc-sa-3.0)

Romagnano al Monte occupies a commanding location overlooking a winding, steep-sided valley. Among the strategically located ruins is an elegant church, standing silent in the wake of hundreds of years of worship.

(Images: AleBonvini, cc-3.0)

Inside, some of the abandoned buildings and houses remain in good condition. In one, a simple yet elegantly tiled fire place, surrounded by more decorative tiling, remains relatively intact. Elsewhere, a broken plastic doll is an eerie reminder of ghost town’s former occupants, many of whom likely perished in the earthquake.

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