Villa Tellina has undergone alterations and renovations, particularly in 1943 and 1955. Nevertheless, the building’s original exterior has been preserved remarkably well. The villa is one of the oldest and most elegant in the area, and both its architectural-historical and environmental value are considerable. In the local zoning plan, the building is designated as protected.
A classical beauty as a villa
“We are one of Finland’s oldest family businesses, having run guesthouses for four generations, and the fifth generation has just taken the helm,” says Mira Haahti, the current hostess of Villa Tellina. The villa is still owned by her husband’s family.
The guesthouse activity originally began with the desire to offer the pleasures of villa life to ordinary people. “The idea that good things belong to everyone is still at the core of our philosophy,” Mira explains.
Mira shares many stories from the villa’s different phases. “There have always been summer guests here. At first, the entire villa was rented out, but due to various acts of mischief and theft, some floors were later closed off for private residence. Today, only the ground floor is used for guest accommodation and dining. Art exhibitions are held on the upper floor. The villa’s tower is closed for safety reasons, as the stairs leading up are in dangerous condition.”
Lost furnishings
Although renovations have been carried out with respect for tradition, some of the manor’s magnificent furnishings have unfortunately disappeared over the years. “For example, the marble female figures decorating the grand fireplace in the main hall had their heads cut off and stolen. Once, during a major renovation, furniture had to be moved outside into the yard – it was stolen.”
The most recent repair work, carried out by Mira’s husband, was at least challenging. “The roof of the tower and its lower section could only be painted by hanging upside down from the roof ridge in a safety harness. It was quite a sight,” Mira laughs.
The original drawings included, among other things, dragon motifs. “They were never realized,” Mira notes.
Ghost stories
From dragon motifs it is only natural to move on to the question: is the villa haunted?
“Of course. And very much so! I’ve experienced it myself many times, mainly in the form of objects clearly changing places without explanation.”
Mira agrees to share a few of her paranormal experiences. She is also a painter. “I used to paint at night when inspiration struck. I no longer do that, because once while painting at night, something flew through my hair accompanied by a shrieking sound. There are also strange noises in the villa. But the strangest incident happened when, on one rare occasion, I decided to take a short nap on the sofa in the middle of the day. I woke up to the smell of cigarette smoke. No one smokes indoors in the villa. But back in the day, my grandmother smoked like a chimney. Then I heard a voice that sternly said to me: The mistresses of this house do not sleep. Get back to work!”
The villa, which still operates as a guesthouse, was built by sawmill owner Jakob Kronqvist from Virkkala. It was completed in 1880, before the official subdivision of villa plots. The building was designed by architect R. Grönholm.
No layouts found
