Italian Folklore ~ The Spooky and Dark Side of Italy’s Boot!

Poveglia Island ~  The Island of Death a.k.a. The Island of NO Return!!

Have you every heard of Poveglia Island? Not many people have, yet it lies right the there in the beautiful Venice Lagoon. It’s impossible to find a water taxi, local venetian boat owner who will take curious tourists to the island. Multiple guide books describe the island as “abandoned and not visitable.” So how could it be that a stones throw away from some of the most pristine real estate in the entire world, Poveglia Island, remains uninhabited, with only a few old buildings rotting away? Because according to legend, the island was formed from the ashes of burned plague victims, criminals and mental patients who were exiled there is haunted with evil spirits.

A stroll through any of Venice’s streets will bring you to one of many Maschera shops. Inside you will find the most recognizable and spooky Venetian mask – Medico della Peste (The Plague Doctor)  worn for protection by plague doctors, with its long curved beak shaped like a bird and glass openings for the eyes.  Straps held the beak in front of the doctor’s nose  had two small nose holes and was a type of respirators which contained aromatic items such as lavender and rose. The mask along with an ankle length black cloak, white gloves, long stick and wide brimmed leather hood indicated their profession. So one can only imagine, how many Medico della Peste were seen walking through the Republic of Venice in the 15th – 16th centuries, as the black plague spread rapidly throughout Europe.

Those who were thought to be infected with the plague were shipped against their will and placed in quarantine on the Island. It is thought that hundreds of thousands of people died and were burnt in mass graves, many which remain untouched even by archaeologists to this very day. In 1922, a building on Poveglia island was used as an asylum for the insane.  A legend surrounding the asylum states that a doctor tortured and butchered many of the patients, then he himself went insane and jumped to his death from the bell tower. It’s said that it was not the fall which killed him – but a mysterious mist that rose from the ground and strangled the life out of the murderous medic.

A handful of people have dodged the police patrol that guards the island, and all have sworn never to return. They’ve said a feeling of the most intense evil and the screaming and moans that reverberate around the island are simply unbearable. One thrill-seeker, upon entering the deserted hospital, was told, leave immediately and do not return. Several well known ghost hunters, have made their way to Poveglia Island, all have confirmed and documented the overwhelming presence of evil and lingering spirits. They say that Venice’s dark and misty canals, embraced by heavenly palazzo’s – echoed with the haunting cries of those never to return to La Serenissima from Poveglia Island.

The Coliseum Rome

The Coliseum was where gladiator’s, fought to the finish for the entertainment of  Emperors and the elite Romans. Slaves, prisoners and war victims met their death at the jaws of exotic creatures, some never seen before by the Romans. Countless numbers of tigers, cheetahs, lions, were killed. Some animal were driven to extinction due to Romans thirst for blood and gore.  The endless rows of vaults below the Coliseum is where the gladiators awaited to fight, prisoners waited for their time to die in the most grisly of ways. Those who came to see the matches bet on the outcome and the more violent the better they liked it. With all that carnage and pure evil, it should come as no surprise, visitors and tour guides have reported  many paranormal experiences.  Visitors have experienced, cold spots, some have said they felt someone touch or push them, and heard someone whispering in their ears. Some have also claimed to hear sword clashing, sounds of crying, and noises of animals such as the roars of lions. Some have even seen ghostly figures sitting in the seats of the Coliseum. This ancient Coliseum, is a one of the most famous and visited sites in Rome. The dichotomy of those who were privileged enough to watch the show and those who took their last breaths in front of them is not lost on most.

Crypt of the Capuchin Monks in Rome 

This church is made entirely out of the skeletons of its former friars. Not possible? Well, that’s exactly what you will find at the Crypt of the Capuchin Monks. Located right off the Via Veneto, the crypt is decorated with the bones and skulls of more than 4,000 monks, all arranged into interesting patterns, such as star-bursts and crucifixes.

The Girl With Blue Hair

The legend of Azzurrina has been known in the area near Rimini for many centuries.

In the 14th century there was Guendolina, a girl-albino with snow-white hair in the Montebello castle (Castello di Montebello). Her parents were worried about the popular superstitions according to which albino-people were somewhat demonic.

Thus, her father forbade the girl to leave the castle and her mother coloured Guendolina’s hair dark but it always ended up looking as blue as her eyes, so she was nicknamed Azzurrina (“Azzurro” translates to “blue” in Italian). On the summer solstice, while playing in the basement of the castle, blue haired Guendolina disappeared. Some said her father killed her but her body was never found.

Now, apparently, every five years on June 21, the day of the summer solstice, people hear a strange sound in the castle: the sound of a girl crying, shouting for help and calling “mamma”.

Capuchin Catacombs in Sicily

Imagine walking into a crumbling stone crypt and coming face to face with row upon row of carefully preserved mummies. This very sight greets thousands of tourists in Palermo, Sicily, each year.

Approximately 8,000 mummies are housed in niches along the walls of the Capuchin Catacombs.Hung from hooks by their necks and feet, they wear expensive-looking clothes and their heads hang as if in prayer. Some were then embalmed, while others were sealed in glass cases. This remained the method of mummification until the tombs were officially closed in 1871.

The Sicilians used a unique process of mummification.Bodies were hung on ceramic pipes in the catacombs, to dry out for up to eight months, before being washed with vinegar and exposed to the open air.

The last person to be interred there was a small girl, aged only two, called Rosalia Lombardo, in 1920.Her body survives almost entirely intact – from her dark blonde flowing hair to her delicate eyelashes. She reputedly died of pneumonia and was embalmed by a doctor called Alfredo Salafia – the only person in Capuchin capable of doing the embalming. Dr Salafia took the secrets of his remarkable embalming process to the grave, but Rosalia Lombardo continues to fascinate the many tourists who visit her.

The Ghost of Love

Bardi Castle (Castello di Bardi) near Parma is thought to be one of the most haunted castles in Italy. The legend goes that in the 14th century a young officer called Moroello fell in love with Soleste, a beauty young girl from a local noble family. The couple couldn’t display their love in public as Moroello was not of noble blood and Soleste’s family would never have given the couple permission to marry. (Sounds very Romeo and Juliet!)

When the young officer left for a battle, the fair Soleste awaited his return on the walls of the castle. Every single day,waiting on the arrival of Moroello to come back to her side.  One day, after more than a month of waiting, Soleste saw a group of soldiers approaching the castle. They soldiers carried the enemy’s flags. Soleste, thinking that her lover had been killed,  jumped off the high castle wall to her death.

However the men were Moroello’s  soldiers were showing off the insignia of the army they had just defeated in triumph. When the brave Moroello found out what happened to the love of his life, he decided to join her and promptly threw himself off one of the castle’s towers.

It is said that this very day the ghost of Moroello wanders the castle grounds trying to find his beloved Soleste.

 

The Evil Eye – The Malocchian Curse

It is believed that there are two types of Malocchio, malevolent and involuntary. Most of the cases are believed to be the latter. The intentional type is called overlooking and is witchcraft meant to harm and cause misfortune. In the Middle Ages, people believed witches did this to bewitch judges into not convicting them and to curse people whom they were angry with.

The involuntary type is when a person may admire or be envious of another’s children or property. It could also result from gazing at another too long. Something has to be done to prevent or cure this. Usually, an older wise woman knows what must be done.

To test whether or not this is the case, put three drops of olive oil, one on top of the other in a bowl of water. If they stay together, it is not Malocchio. If they separate or become smeared it is.

To break the spell, insert the tip of a needle into the eye of another needle while chanting, “

“Occhi e contro e perticelli agli occhi, crepa la invida e schiattono gli occhi.” That means “Eyes against eyes and the holes of the eyes, envy cracks and eyes burst.” She then dropped the needles on top of three drops of olive oil in water and sprinkled three pinches of salt into the water. The strega (witch) would then jab scissors into the water through the oil three times and cut the air above the bowl three times and POOF! The spell was FINITO!

So is the spooky dark side of the boot enough to keep you away from Bella Italia?

.

Naples, Italy – A visit to the birthplace of Pizza!

Naples, Napoli in Italian, is the third most-populated city in Italy and the biggest city in Southern Italy. Naples is the gateway to many sites, such as Pompeii and the Bay of Naples, makes it a good base for exploring the area. Lively and vibrant, amazing historical and artistic treasures, and winding streets with small shops. This makes it worth at least a few days visit. Naples is in the region of Campania in Southern Italy, about 2-hours south of Rome. It sits on the coast on the northern edge of the Bay of Naples, one of the most beautiful bays in Italy. Its harbor is the most important port in Southern Italy.

Naples Food Specialties: Pizza, one of Italy’s most famous foods, originated in Naples and pizza is taken extremely seriously here. You’ll find lots of great pizza places but be sure you look for one with a wood-burning oven and if you can try the inventor of  Pizza, Da Michele! It only serves the famous marinara & margarita pizzas! Named after Queen Margarita, it also represents the colors of the Italian flag. (Red,White & Green /sauce,cheese,basil) Da Michele http://damichele.net.  Eggplant Parmgiana originated in Naples and spaghetti also became popular in Naples, try it with clams or mussels. Seafood is abundant in most Italian cities is very good in Naples.

Naples Festivals: Naples has one of the best New Year’s Eve celebrations and  fireworks displays in Italy. During Christmas, creches or nativity scenes decorate the city and on Via San Gregorio Armeno, in central Naples is filled with displays and stalls selling Nativity scenes. On Easter, there are many decorations and a big parade. Two huge religious festivals are held in September, the Festa di Piedigrotta on the 7th and San Gennaro on the 19th. ( San Gennaro’s sister church in Little Italy, NYC celebrates the feast at the same time) During the summer, there are music festivals, too.

Museums:

The National Archaeological Museum of Naples has one of the world’s best collections of Greek and Roman antiquities, including mosaics, sculptures, gems,  silver, and a collection of Roman erotica from Pompeii. Many of the objects come from excavations at Pompeii and other nearby archaeological sites. http://museoarcheologiconazionale.campaniabeniculturali.it/

Sanservo Chapel http://www.museosansevero.it/inglese/cappellasansevero/cristovelato.html  The Veiled Christ: the statue Giuseppe Sanmartino, 1753 -Placed at the centre of the nave of the Sansevero Chapel, the Veiled Christ is one of the most famous and impressive works of art in the world. It was the Prince’s wish that the statue be made by Antonio Corradini, who had already done Modesty for him. However, Corradini died in 1752 and only managed to make a terracotta scale model of the Christ, which is now preserved in the Museo di San Martino. So Raimondo di Sangro appointed a young Neapolitan artist, Giuseppe Sanmartino, to make “a life-sized marble statue, representing Our Lord Jesus Christ dead, and covered in a transparent shroud carved from the same block as the statue”. Sanmartino paid little heed to the previous scale model made by the Venetian sculptor. Both in Modesty, and in the Veiled Christ, the original stylistic message is in the veil, but Sanmartino’s late baroque feeling and sentiment permeate the shroud with a movement and a meaning far removed from Corradini’s rules. The modern sensitivity of the artist sculpts and divests the lifeless body of its flesh, which the soft shroud mercifully covers, on which the tormented, writhing rhythms of the folds of the veil engrave deep suffering, almost as if the compassionate covering made the poor limbs still more naked and exposed, and the lines of the tortured body even more inexorable and precise. The swollen vein still pulsating on the forehead, the wounds of the nails on the feet and on the thin hands, and the sunken side finally relaxed in the freedom of death are a sign of an intense search which has no time for preciosity or scholastic canons, even when the sculptor meticulously “embroiders” the edges of the shroud or focuses on the instruments of the Passion placed at the feet of Christ. Sanmartino’s art here becomes a dramatic evocation, that turns the suffering of Christ into the symbol of the destiny and redemption of all humanity.

San Francesco di Paola, on the piazza, is a huge domed church. Palazzo Reale, the Royal Palace, is across the square (closed Wednesdays). Inside you can visit the restored rooms and royal apartments and visit the roof garden where there are good views of the bay.

Spaccanapoli, or Via San Biagio, is the main street that divides Naples and is the heart of the historic center. The street has many interesting churches and shops. Originally was the heart of the Greek and Roman city, the Spaccanapoli district is a string of narrow  streets and is mainly a pedestrian zone so its a fun place to wander around.

Via San Gregorio Armeno, off Via San Biagio, is famous for its nativity workshops and stores. Via dei Tribunali, another street in old Naples, has arcades dating back more than 1000 years.

Santa Chiara Church is part of a large complex that includes a monastery with beautiful cloisters decorated with majolica tiles and frescoes and an interesting archaeological museum.

The Duomo is a 13th century Gothic cathedral dedicated to Naple’s patron saint, San Gennaro. A huge festival is held when a vial of his blood is taken out of its storage place in hopes that it will liquefy. On one side of the duomo is the 4th century Basilica Santa Restituta (the oldest church in Naples) with columns believed to be from the Temple of Apollo, amazing ceiling frescoes, and archaeological remains from the Greeks to the middle ages. The 5th century baptistery has good 14th century Byzantine-style mosaics.

San Lorenzo Maggiore is a 13th century medieval church with extensive Greek and Roman remains underneath (closed Mondays). · Piazza del Mercato has probably been a market square since Roman times.

Via Toledo, a pedestrian street, is one of the main business and shopping streets. ·

 

Castel dell’Ovo, the oldest castle in Naples, sits in a prominent position on the harbor and is used for exhibitions and concerts.

Castel Nuovo, a huge castle erected in 1279-1282, houses the Civic Museum (closed Sundays). Inside are 14th-15th century frescoes and paintings, silver, and bronzes from the 15th century to present.

Teatro San Carlo, known for its perfect acoustics, is the best place to hear opera in southern Italy. Opened in 1737, it’s the world’s oldest surviving opera house although it was rebuilt in 1816 after a fire. ·

The Capodimonte Museum and Park, built as King Charles III’s hunting lodge, houses one of Italy’s richest museums with a great picture gallery and collection of majolica and porcelain. You can wander around the royal apartments and the surrounding park, too.

Museum and Monastery of San Martino, on the Vomero Hill, has a famous display of Neopolitan nativity scenes, beautiful cloisters and gardens, frescoes and mosaics, artwork, and fantastic views.

Funiculare, inclined railways, take you up the hill to the Vomero district where you’ll find fabulous views, Castel Sant’Elmo, and Certosa and Museum of San Martino. Funiculare Centrale, one of the longest in the world, leaves from Via Toledo by Galleria Umberto. The other two are Funiculare di Chiaia and Funiculare di Montesanto. · The Orto Botanico, botanical garden, is one of the best in Italy.

Naples University, founded in 1224, is one of Europe’s oldest universities.

Naples is a bustling busy city and we should all love its endless history and traditions. The one tradition we all know, even a trip to Naples withstanding,  is PIZZA!!! Mangia Mangia!!!