A Haunted House
The localities believed the count and his wife haunted the mansion. The count would visit the mansion's study every full moon while his wife showed up in the overgrown garden on summer nights.
Despite many warnings from friends, family, and even their realtor, Wendy and Michael bought the place. What they'd find would leave them regretting their decision.
The Tremblays
When Wendy and Michael Tremblay bought an abandoned house in Northern France, they knew exactly what they were getting into.
They heard the harrowing stories surrounding the building they hoped to one day call home and thought it would be a great place to raise their family. But unlike many horror stories surrounding old houses, the ones that made the La Valette mansion famous were all true.
History Buffs
Wendy and Michael were history buffs hailing from Laon, France. In their thirties, they'd worked hard in their respective fields, amassing enough cash to buy a place they could call their own finally.
"It was one of those places you just feel connected with the first time you visit," Wendy shared. She was the one who scoped out the mansion, egging Michael to accompany her to see it. Their trip would give birth to their everlasting love for the La Valette mansion.
The La Valette Mansion
Like many ancient châteaus and mansions across France, the La Valette was steeped in decades worth of history. But unlike them, it hadn't enjoyed the love and care that many of these structures saw.
As such, the mansion was in the worst condition it had ever been in its century and half old life. But such a dark fate was warranted considering the mansion's eerie history.
The Count And His Wife
As the stories go, the La Valette mansion had belonged to a local count and his wife in the late eighteen hundreds. They met a tragic fate one after the other, falling in the very place they called home.
But the story wasn't as simple as you may think. In fact, its complexity and the mystery surrounding it counted as the reasons no one wanted to live near, let alone renovate the mansion.
An Interesting Couple
The original owners of the La Valette mansion had been an exciting couple. They both came from well-to-do families, with all the political reach that people in their shoes were expected to have.
But after getting married, the two seemingly stepped back from the political scene, with the count choosing to focus on his family instead. This would be the beginning of the end.
The Consequences
The count's people felt neglected as the economic state of their region declined without their leader's attention. They learned he was using their town's funds to expand his estate and came after him and his family.
They went after the count first and then the remainder of his family. The horrific aftermath would haunt the mansion for decades, ensuring no one wanted anything to do with it. But that wasn't the saddest part.
The Reason Why
Although most other historical castles and mansions across France, whether haunted or not, have gotten a facelift over the last century, the La Valette mansion didn't.
This was primarily because, although derelict, it still belonged to one of the locals who'd inherited it from one of his great uncles. He'd seemingly forgotten it existed, seeing that he didn't consider renovating it.
The Haunting Of The La Valette Mansion
The localities believed the count and his wife haunted the mansion. The former was always thought to visit the mansion's study every full moon, going after whoever came too close. His wife showed up in the overgrown garden on summer nights, dancing alone while she cried.
Despite many warnings from friends, family, and even their realtor, Wendy and Michael bought the place. What they'd find would leave them regretting their decision.
Turning It Into A Home
Wendy and Michael began their renovations as fast as possible. They pooled their resources and took necessary loans to ensure they could finance the project.
But as they worked, everyone laughed at them, ensuring to remind them of the mansion's dark past. "They talked about the count and his wife constantly," Wendy said. "I'll be lying if I say the stories weren't slowly getting to me."
Her Worry
Many castles and mansions across France have one or two haunting stories. Wendy had grown up with these tales, loving the mystic around them but praying that whatever inspired such stories wasn't real.
She'd hoped to one day live in such majestic places, and this was her chance to do that. But she and Michael would make a harrowing discovery while renovating the mansion's garden.
In The Garden
Wendy and Michael, alongside their renovation team, were redoing the garden when they dug further than intended. Their equipment struck against cold metal, prompting them to stop everything they were doing.
Michael instructed the team to step back, taking the responsibility to uncover the large metal surface himself. He'd jump back when he realized what it was.
A Disturbing Find
Michael leaped back, realizing he'd been digging up a massive metal coffer. His stomach knotted, and he held back a gag as he fetched his phone to call the authorities. "I regretted buying the place at that moment," he shared. "But I'm glad we did."
Together with Wendy and their team, they pried the large box open. They remembered the stories surrounding La Valette. Most of the family members were never found. Did Wendy and Michael solve the mystery?
Open it
The rust-ridden box creaked open, offering its contents to the curious eyes that stared down at it. But there weren't any human bones inside, only perfectly wrapped books, vases, and jewelry in excellent condition.
The local police flocked to the scene, and Michael and Wendy handed everything over. They were still shaken from their find, so what happened next caught them off guard.
The Biggest Sacrifices
Since Wendy and Michael owned everything in the La Valette estate, the police handed the box's contents back to them. The two displayed almost everything after concluding their renovations. Most of what they found was extremely expensive on the historical market, helping the family recover all the money they pumped into the renovations. "Sometimes the biggest sacrifices yield the most results," said Wendy.
Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.