Archive for 'Legends'

In our last article, we outlined the long and rich historical heritage of the city of Florence and how it has given the city a predisposition for both tourist attractions and tales of ghost sightings and spooky legends.

In fact, as we saw, some of these stories are right out in the open with key features from the tales being plainly visible on the streets such as the strange stone face on the side of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore and the permanently ajar window of the Palazzo Budini-Gattai.

There are, however, plenty of other buildings and spots all over the city that have creepy or ghostly pasts. Just read on to discover some more and then find a luxury villa in Florence so you can spend your next Hallowe'en exploring the murkier side of the city's history.     Read More

In our last article we discussed the proliferation of beautiful castles in Tuscany that are worth tracking down and visiting and, specifically, mentioned Sarteano's giant castle, with its imposing square keep, that dates to the 12th or 13th century and the Castello di Brolio in Chianti and its wine, food, ghosts and impressive grounds. Read on for two more examples of picturesque castles in Tuscany that you won't want to miss.

The Emperor's Castle in Prato is considered one of the most important examples of medieval architecture in the city. It is a square, thick-walled, imposing building that worth visiting in its own right but is also now home to local events, festivals and, even, movie screenings. Work on the castle began in 1237 and ended in 1248 by order of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II of Swabia and it was designed by Riccardo da Lentini. The most obvious feature of the castle is its striking exterior; square in plan, with one tower to each corner to all angles and one at the centre of every side of the wall curtain.     Read More

Borgo a Mozzano is a town and comune in the province of Lucca, that is located on the Serchio River. It is most famous for an architectural feature located on the river, the Ponte del Diavolo (Devil's Bridge), which draws thousands of visitors to the town every year. It is one of two or three dozen ‘devil bridges' found primarily in Europe, most of which date back to medieval times. Thought to have been commissioned by the Countess Matilda di Canossa of Tuscany around 1080-1100, renovated around 1300 and renamed the Ponte della Maddalena around 1500 after an oratory dedicated to Mary Magdalene, it became known as the Ponte del Diavolo because of a popular legend. The legend tells the tale of a master builder who promised to build a bridge and became rather desperate when he realised he could not build it as quickly as he had assured the locals. One evening, while he sat on the bank of the river, the devil appeared to him in the form of a respectable businessman and said he could finish in a single night, if the builder would promise him the soul of the first one who crossed when it was completed.     Read More

When one thinks of Florence, the first things that spring to mind tend to be art, architecture, beautiful public spaces and gardens and a rich historical heritage.

Ghosts probably don't feature too prominently in most people's idea of the city but considering its long and rich history full of political intrigue, conflicts, passion, anger and crime, there are plenty of stories of specters that are said to haunt the streets and buildings, spooky events and unexplained incidents.

With Hallowe'en fast approaching, why not find a luxury villa in Florence and spend All Hallows Eve tracking down ghosts in the city this year.

Read on for some scary stories that we have gathered together about the less well-known side of Florence.     Read More