Who is afraid of ghosts? And the bad gnomes? Have you ever been really scared by the boogeyman? Thrill Seekers They will definitely answer no. After all, we are talking about people who have turned horror stories into a true passion that also includes travel.
Dark and ghost tourism is proof of this: we set out in search of haunted houses, neighborhoods populated by ghosts and witches or other destinations that have been the scene of tragic, dramatic and terrifying events. To these, then, we add all those Mysterious places that live in the balance between reality and legends..
And it is precisely in them where we want to accompany you, to discover some of the The scariest Italian urban legends always and revive them. And what better occasion than Halloween to do it? Attention! These experiences are intended only for the intrepid and brave.
Italian urban legends: about places of terror
We are often fascinated by stories that come from another part of the world: we listen to them, we tell them and we allow ourselves to be influenced by them. However, the Bel Paese also has a rich tradition. Legends that give you goosebumps even the bravest.
You wonder if they are true? As urban legends, transmitted orally and subject to even more imaginative modifications, we do not have a single, precise answer. What we can do is point out all those Made in Italy places that over time have become the setting for these stories. It will be up to you to discover if it is reality or legend.. Will you have the courage?
Montebello: the legend of the Azzurina
If you are thinking of spending an atypical day and completely immersing yourself in a spooky atmosphere, then it cannot be missing from your list of things to do. a trip to Rimini, and more precisely in the town of Montebello di Torriana where the castle of the same name is located. The legend, which has spread rapidly in recent years, says that here the ghost of Azzurrina lives, a girl who disappeared into thin air on the day of the summer solstice.
In reality it turns out that Azzurrina's real name was Guendalina, an albino girl, daughter of Ugolinuccio or Uguccione, feudal lord of Montebello. The story goes that, during a rainy day, the ball the girl was playing with fell into the underground refrigerator. Gwendolyn joined her and from there moment when he disappeared into the air. There are those who say that every five years, on the occasion of the summer solstice, let the little one make her voice heard. To support this thesis also the ghost hunters who, right in the castle, recorded some ghostly sounds.
The Rocca di Montebello is today a museum. Guests can listen to all preserved recordings and choose what to believe.
Milan, the devil's column
We now move to the Lombard capital to discover another suggestive and terrifying legend which has directly to do with the devil. In Milan, in Piazza Sant'Ambrogio where the basilica of the same name stands out, there is a Roman period column which history places in the 3rd century.
This marble sculpture houses two strange holes located at the bottom, and it is on them where all the travelers' attention is focused. According to legend, in fact, those The holes were made by the devil's horns. during a battle with Saint Ambrose.
Many believe that the two holes represent a gateway to the underworld. Some swear they smelled sulfur coming from the holes, others said they saw something disturbing through them. If the legend does not scare you, you can approach the column and discover for yourself if it is the result of fantasy or if it hides something real.
The black ambulance that shocked Abruzzo
It was the 90s when A terrible story began to circulate in Italy.. There was talk of a black ambulance, which traveled day and night between the cities and neighborhoods of Italy, to kidnap children. The origins of this terrifying legend are unknown, what we do know is that due to the discovery of two bodies of lifeless children, one in Penne in Abruzzo and the other in Montesilvano, a true phobia broke out throughout the region. To increase the climate of fear in the cities of Abruzzo, there is also the testimony of Simone, a 9-year-old boy who claimed to have been approached by a completely black plane.
Over the years, theblack ambulance She was never seen again and everyone stopped talking about her. Her story, however, remains one of the world's most disturbing urban legends.
the house of souls
We now move to Genoa, to discover one of the most disturbing and least known places on this horror itinerary. We are located above the District of Voltri and more precisely in via dei Giovi where there was once an inn frequented by the inhabitants and travelers of the city. The story tells of pilgrims who, stopping at the inn, never returned home. Apparently the owners of the structure killed them to rob them, a version that was also confirmed by some bodies found in the fields surrounding the building.
After the closing of cursed inn, no one had the courage to approach it and the building fell into a state of abandonment, until after the Second World War, a family decided to settle here. However, their stay did not last long because they soon realized that the building was haunted.
Truth or legend? Several years ago, Rai created a report on the House of Souls – thus renamed – broadcast during the program “Strange Facts of Ordinary People”. At the end of the video the cameras seem to immortalize an exciting frame: the presence of the ghost of a woman.
Colobraro, the cursed town
There is a small town in the province of Matera that no one ever mentions. The reason? It is said to be cursed! We are in Colobraro., in Basilicata, among the streets of the town that brings bad luck, or at least that's what everyone says. However, fascination with stories about him has attracted increasing numbers of visitors in recent years.
But why is this country cursed? One of the most famous legends that contributed to Colobraro's bad reputation dates back to the 30s, when the Podestà made some predictions to strengthen his power, and these came true. to the detriment of some unfortunate. Added to this history is the belief that the country, for a long time, was house of witches and wizards who gathered around a walnut tree at night to prepare magic potions. There are those who also swear that they meet monks – spirits of dead children – when the sun sets.
Truth or legend? All you have to do is organize a trip to discover it.
Rome, the werewolf of Villa Borghese
The last urban legend of our horror itinerary takes us to Rome, and more precisely among the tree-lined avenues of Villa Borghese. The city park, one of the most fascinating and evocative in the capital, preserves an exciting history that has to do with the full moon and werewolves.
To discover the legend we must take a step back in time and go back to when, after the war, several Italian citizens declared having met werewolves. The peak of sightings occurred precisely in Rome: the newspapers of the time spoke of a semi-human and very physically strong figure that howled and attacked passers-by who were in the urban park at night. In 1949 the police solved the case by arresting a young man who declared that during the Full Moon he gained strength that he had never had before.
Simple delusions? You can find out for yourself during full moon nights. Or don't do it and keep you at a safe distance from Villa Borghese.
