Legends of fairies, witches and necromancers to spice up your vacations to Italy
From the Pilato Lake to the Sibilla Cave, walking holidays in Italy surrounded by traditions and legends of Le Marche region. The origin of the many legends of this enchanted area is in the 15th century epic poem “Guerrino detto il Meschino” by Andrea Mengabotti da Barberino. The story tells the many adventures of Guerrino who, in a quest to find his parents, visited the witch who lived in these mountains, the enchantress Alcina. She was the only one who could help him because she was so old that she knew everything of the past and present.
This tale and many other legends are connected to this area and the names given to local sites reflect the regional traditions. The Sibillini Mountains area is packed with magical places, some designated with cursed names and some, in an effort to dilute the evil spirits, with holy ones.
The Lago di Pilato has always been considered a magical and mysterious place. Its glacial, clear waters are said to harbor Pilate’s body arrived here after Emperor Tiberius sentenced him to death. His body was committed to a cart dragged by oxen left free to roam until finally, at the end of a mad run, they fell into the lake.According to an ancient Roman legend the lake is the Averno, the entrance to the underworld. In the vicinity of the Lago di Pilato was found La Gran Pietra or Big Stone, engraved with mysterious symbols. The stone is now visible in the Sibilla museum in Montemonaco village. The lake is also interesting from a naturalistic point of view because is one of the very few glacial lakes outside the Alps and it hosts a peculiar little crustacean, Chirocephalus Marchesonii, only found here. To celebrate the legacy of the many legends, in Pretare, a small village close to Arquata del Tronto, every three years is celebrated a fairy festival, La Discesa delle Fate. The fairies are said to have been sent by the Sibilla to teach to the people how to saw and thread wool. In the Sibillini natural park
you’ll find well marked paths that will keep you safe from the spirits and gremlins that roam the area.
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Alcina tries to keep Guerrino with her but finally reveals where his parents are kept prisoners and how to free them.
