Urban Exploration - The Gobba Mansion

We received photos from a traveler and compiled them into a historical summary.

This manor was visited on a complete whim. I had just "broken my teeth" on a massive industrial site—an abandoned factory that will soon be wiped off the map. I had never seen so many cameras and sensors; it was a veritables declaration of war. I left; there was no point.

As I was leaving the parking lot, my eyes were drawn to a manor. I was already driving away... Putré, making a U-turn was a pain, but I had to go see. It certainly looked to be in a sorry state.

From the very first meter of the long driveway, within a vast wooded park that has turned into a jungle, I felt a sense of violence. And I can tell you, that kind of intuition rarely fails me.

The Master of Glass
This was the manor of a glass manufacturer: Emile Gobba. He was very well-known, even recognized as one of the best—perhaps even the best.

Consequently, the manor bears witness to a former opulence. Perched on a mound, the dominant view over the city is extraordinary. It still looks noble, despite the hostile waves of degradation. In contrast, the interior feels somewhat modern, even ordinary. That said, it’s not Madame de Pompadour, but it is still beautiful.

A Senseless Vengeance
But the violence, though... that was real. Inside, everything has been meticulously blown apart. "Smashed to smithereens," as they say. Why so much hatred? Looted objects scattered everywhere, floorboards broken, windows torn out. It felt like an act of vengeance.

As I left—without lingering—I saw a drug user injecting himself on the old tennis court. His Mastiff didn't move, staying close to its master, calm. I dodged two young men heading toward the company's former offices, hiding from view. A few moments later, the last remains of the windows shattered. Time to go.