Come to visit the castle of Fosdinovo in Tuscany to learn about the tragic tale of a wealthy daughter from a noble family and how she fell in love with a stable hand who worked there. Tourists wishing to stay here for a few days have a wealth of tuscany villas for rent available to them in and around the town of Fosdinovo on the border between Tuscany and Liguria.
The castle, where this story is based is where the noble Malaspina family had lived for centuries. A beautiful girl called Bianca Maria Aloisia, a member of the family resided here during the mid fifteenth century and fell in love with a handsome young man who worked in the stables there. They had to meet in secret and fell deeply in love after only a few brief meetings.
The castle, where this story is based is where the noble Malaspina family had lived for centuries. A beautiful girl called Bianca Maria Aloisia, a member of the family resided here during the mid fifteenth century and fell in love with a handsome young man who worked in the stables there. They had to meet in secret and fell deeply in love after only a few brief meetings.
This romantic tale turns bitter when Bianca’s father arranged for her to marry a powerful knight from a nearby district. She refused to do so and begged her father to let her be with her true love, the stable boy. In his anger, her father sent her to a nearby convent to repent her ways but it was there that Bianca and her lover continued to meet in secret. She fell pregnant and was sent back to the castle in disgrace.
Things go from bad to worse when the stable hand was slowly tortured and then brutally murdered and Bianca was subjected to the pain of hot irons being pressed against her skin to force her to repent her sins. She refused to apologise and was tortured further by having her limbs broken and twisted. Eventually her cruel tormentors led her to a dark dungeon where she was buried alive as her family ordered for the walls to be built up with bricks and mortar. She was left to die with two animals; a wild boar to represent her rebellion against her family’s honour and a dog to symbolise her loyalty to her true love.
Things go from bad to worse when the stable hand was slowly tortured and then brutally murdered and Bianca was subjected to the pain of hot irons being pressed against her skin to force her to repent her sins. She refused to apologise and was tortured further by having her limbs broken and twisted. Eventually her cruel tormentors led her to a dark dungeon where she was buried alive as her family ordered for the walls to be built up with bricks and mortar. She was left to die with two animals; a wild boar to represent her rebellion against her family’s honour and a dog to symbolise her loyalty to her true love.
As bizarre as this cruel legend sounds, there may well be a lot of truth to it as several years ago, archaeologists discovered a pile of human female bones her along with two sets of animal skeletons of different species.
Another peculiar clue of this horrific tale lies on the ceiling of the throne room in Fosdinovo castle. If you come here to visit, you will see a damp patch above the throne which appears to be the face of a woman with two animal faces either side of her that look like a boar and a dog.
Could this have been a reminder from the ghost of Maria to torment her cruel family about their murderous deeds towards her and her beloved?
This haunting legend is part of an intriguing documentary series about the legends of Tuscany which can be bought via this link. Read through some related articles that talk about the other interesting legends of Tuscany in greater detail which could help you plan an exciting holiday to Tuscany full of mystery and suspense!
Another peculiar clue of this horrific tale lies on the ceiling of the throne room in Fosdinovo castle. If you come here to visit, you will see a damp patch above the throne which appears to be the face of a woman with two animal faces either side of her that look like a boar and a dog.
Could this have been a reminder from the ghost of Maria to torment her cruel family about their murderous deeds towards her and her beloved?
This haunting legend is part of an intriguing documentary series about the legends of Tuscany which can be bought via this link. Read through some related articles that talk about the other interesting legends of Tuscany in greater detail which could help you plan an exciting holiday to Tuscany full of mystery and suspense!
