From year to year, Italy attracts crowds of tourists who, buying tickets to the country of the sea, wine and sun, have different goals. Someone wants to soak up the hot sun on one of the sandy beaches, someone wants to explore local attractions, visit museums and learn something new, and someone goes straight to Milan to shop.
However, there is another type of tourists: the so-called "ghostbusters" who are looking for ghostly creatures in the castles of Italy. So to which castles and why do lovers of such thrills go? What ghosts live in Italy?
Castle of Santa Severa
Perhaps the most famous ghost of the country lives in this ancient 12th-century castle, located a few kilometers from the Italian capital.
According to the stories of local residents and tourists who were “lucky” to be here, moans, creaks and steps are constantly heard in the castle from the castle, and various objects move around indoors.
According to archaeologists, near the castle they managed to find a cemetery for several hundred graves. To this place can be attributed the beating of the Holy North for its unwillingness to renounce the Christian faith. The girl died a violent death, which, according to "ghostbusters", and could serve as the appearance of her ghost in the castle.
The beach of the town of the same name Santa Severa with a 2000-year history is an excellent option for a relaxing holiday at sea and for those who do not want to lose touch with the Eternal City. There are no hotels in the city itself, which means there are no tourists.
Find hotel in Santa MarinellaWe recommend staying in the nearby town of Santa Marinella, which is also conveniently located between the Roman port of Civitavecchia and Fiumicino Airport.
There are only 12 hotels and prices are much lower than in popular Italian resorts. The season begins in May and ends at the end of September.
Castle of Poppy (Castello Poppi, Castello dei Conti Guidi)
The small town of Poppy has been famous for stories about otherworldly power for many years. For the first time a gloomy castle, once owned by the Guid dynasty, is mentioned in written sources in 1191. Historians say that this castle often held knightly tournaments in which the best of the best took part in the battle for the death.
Centuries have passed since then, and the medieval knights cannot lower their swords: characteristic sounds regularly resemble from the castle, reminiscent of the clatter of horses' hooves, the clink of steel and the cries.
Local residents will also be happy to tell you the legend of Princess Matilda, who, after the death of her husband, received young lovers in her chambers. After a night of love, the lady escorted the men directly to a hole strewn with blades, at the bottom of which the poor fellows died. The inhabitants of the town, having learned about the treachery of the princess, walled her alive in the walls of the castle, where she is still regularly dressed as a ghost to this day.
The official website of the castle in Italian and English: www.castellodipoppi.it
Montebello Castle (Castello di Montebello)
Montebello Castle, which is located a few dozen kilometers from the spa town Rimini (Rimini), has long been keeping the old legend of the little girl Gwendolina, the daughter of a local official.
Find a hotel in Rimini at the best priceGwendolina was born an albino - blond hair and white skin strongly distinguished the girl from her peers.
However, in those days, this color of hair and skin was considered ugliness, and in some regions of Italy it was completely associated with evil spirits, so the child's parents painted her curls in a different color. But the girl’s hair reacted to the paint in a very strange way: no matter what color the little girl’s curls dyed, her hair turned blue. Gwendolina was called the "blue girl" (bimba azzurra). On one sunny day, the baby, as always, was playing with the ball, when suddenly thunder broke out and a thunderstorm began. After the storm subsided, it was discovered that Gwendolina disappeared. Since then, the girl has never been seen. However, local residents regularly report strange noise in the dungeons of the castle: they hear the crying and laughter of the child.
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