THE INFAMOUS VILLA WINTER

THE INFAMOUS VILLA WINTER IN FUERTEVENTURA – EXPOSED PART 1

By Luisa M Follano

How much do you really know about this infamous house and are the conspiracy theories actually true?

Villa Winter is a villa situated near the village Cofete, on the peninsula Jandía in the southwestern part of the island of Fuerteventura, Canary Islands. The villa was realised by Gustav Winter, a German engineer born in 1893 in the Black Forest. It was built in 1946 and has two floors, a tower in the northwestern part of the villa and a balcony in the front. Gustav Winter worked since 1915 for Spain and was active in different projects in Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria.

The villa is built in a remote part of the island with only a dust track leading to it. The history of the villa is the subject of several conspiracy theories, often involving Nazis. [ Source Wikipedia.org ] These are not my words, however, depending on who you speak to, nobody really knows what went on in the Villa Winter and if the current disputes are anything to go by, may never know. Many people have tried to uncover the secrets that this infamous house holds (or hides) but very few have been privy to what lies inside its walls. There have been many rumours, yet little facts and due to the nature of the conspiracy theories, some people do not wish for the truth (whatever that may be) to actually be revealed.

So was this just a family residence built in a virtually in inaccessible location for family privacy is there more to it?

…..and is there really any truth behind the conspiracy theories?

REMOTE AND INACCESSIBLE

As you can see from the photos, the Villa Winter lies in a remote location, and getting to it is almost impossible. The road that leads too it is becoming more and more inaccessible by the day and the house itself is in a state of disrepair and therefore dangerous for anyone that wants to look around. It is also a private residence and NOT a tourist attraction or museum and therefore the argument regarding its upkeep and who should fund its maintenance is also in question, especially as it sits on private land and inside a natural park. This means you will not be able to get inside and any attempt to do so is considered trespassing on private property. Some have managed to gain access over the years and been allowed to photograph certain areas including The History Channel and Canarian TV. However, until now,no one has been allowed to access all areas and photograph and record the investigations that are currently underway, albeit somewhat hindered by red tape, in order to try and uncover its secrets. The team here at The Voice Fuerteventura are the first!

ACCESS ALL AREAS

We have been allowed access all to areas and have photographed every nook and cranny both inside and out and are now continuing in other locations around the area to try and unearth other secrets. We also have a very well informed and knowledgeable source that knows the property better than anyone to guide us. There are too many things to cover in one article and too many questions that need to be answered in a non-biased and fact based manner and so we will be covering different parts of this fascinating house over the next few months and you can make up your own minds.

THE HIDDEN AREAS

These articles will include photographs of all the different areas including the so called “hidden bedrooms” the strange and unnerving “kitchen” which is where many believe face altering surgery was performed. The lower areas which we have nicknamed “the cells” the tower which looks out on to a helipad, the secret symbols and artefacts and anything else that we think you as readers would like to see. We also have a personal interview with the family that have stood guard over the house for 85 years and all the personal stories that they have to tell.

GET INVOLVED!

In return, we want your help. We know many of you are budding and even retired or professional historians and some will have much more knowledge about this house than we have and so we ask you for your opinions. What do you think was going on? Can you add any accounts to this investigation? Do you have evidence that this is just a house and nothing more? Do you know where the secret tunnels are? Were there U-boats moored just off the coast? What photographs would you like to see and what questions would you like us to ask?

Please let us know what you think and get in touch… as between us all. Maybe we can really uncover the secret history of The Villa Winter.

(First Published in The Voice Fuerteventura 2015)

Photos by Luisa M Follano & Simon Waldram with The Voice Fuerteventura

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