HAMLETS
ANAGNI
Anagni is a vision, placidly lying on a hill overlooking the valley. Today it is a chest full of medieval treasures, but its history begins much earlier, since it was first Hernic and then Roman. City of the Popes, so it’s called. And rightly so, because in the thirteenth century, under the lordship of the Caetani, it gave birth to four popes, becoming a splendid papal residence and even hosting Dante Alighieri. The cathedral and its museum, the Palazzo della Ragione (Palace of Reason), the access doors, the narrow streets of the historic center, the Palazzo di Bonifacio VIII (Bonifacio VIII Palace), (the Pope of the slap) with the attached Museo Bonifaciano (Bonifacio Museum): everything here seems to have come out of a fairy tale. Yet it is all so extraordinarily real and concrete.
PALIANO
Paliano echoes the footsteps of the Colonna family, his princes as early as 1400. And the steps of those who have stepped on the cobblestones of its alleys for centuries, given the strategic and commercial centrality of this village so noble and ancient. The Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace), the Collegiata (Collegiate Church) and the Fortezza (Fortress) dominate it, while the long walls sinuously surround the stone houses of the historic center. Here, protected by the Colonna themselves, Caravaggio also lived for a few months, fleeing Rome after killing Ranuccio Tomassoni. A story among the stories, which still echoes in the streets of this enchanting Lazio pearl.
PIGLIO
The cradle of Cesanese wine is a medieval hamlet that seems to cling to a rocky spur of Monte Scalambra with its nails. The roofs of its ancient houses, built around the large Castle, are irregular, and seen from above they look like waves of tiles blown by the breeze. Around the town, the orderly vineyards and wild nature rival each other, still marking the natural rhythms of life today. Good wine, fresh and light air, Ciociaria cuisine at its best: nothing here could be better than it is.
LEGENDS
THE BLOODY DAMA OF VICALVI
XV century, Vicalvi castle. Here lived Alejandra Maddaloni, wife of a noble Spanish leader. Since her husband was almost always away to wage war, the noblewoman had as a hobby that of luring young local men to spend a fiery night of love. Too bad that, for all these naive playboy ante litteram, that would have been the last night of their lives. In fact, the witch, with the help of a trusted servant, made them disappear as soon as the relationship was consummated, so as to hide any possible evidence of her adultery. But you know, even in the absence of social networks, the chatter sooner or later gets to the wrong ear (or right, it depends on your point of view). So the poor husband, one fine day, learned of the matter and had his faithless wife walled up in a castle tower. Since then, it is said that the ghost of the unfortunate woman roams the rooms of the castle in search of new young people to covet. As if to say: not very clever and even relapsed.
THE BLOODY DAMA OF VICALVI
XV century, Vicalvi castle. Here lived Alejandra Maddaloni, wife of a noble Spanish leader. Since her husband was almost always away to wage war, the noblewoman had as a hobby that of luring young local men to spend a fiery night of love. Too bad that, for all these naive playboy ante litteram, that would have been the last night of their lives. In fact, the witch, with the help of a trusted servant, made them disappear as soon as the relationship was consummated, so as to hide any possible evidence of her adultery. But you know, even in the absence of social networks, the chatter sooner or later gets to the wrong ear (or right, it depends on your point of view). So the poor husband, one fine day, learned of the matter and had his faithless wife walled up in a castle tower. Since then, it is said that the ghost of the unfortunate woman roams the rooms of the castle in search of new young people to covet. As if to say: not very clever and even relapsed.
THE TERRIBLE FUMONE SISTERS
During the XIX century, a branch of the noble Caetani Longhi family lived in the Fumone castle (splendid and still open to the public). The young mother Emilia had three daughters and a three year old boy, Francesco, whom she adored. The three females, much older than their little brother, were extremely jealous of him. In reality it wasn’t just a silly jealousy issue. In fact, the child would one day inherit all the family fortunes, being the only boy in the house. In times when gender equality was a mirage, it seemed a terrible injustice to the three girls. So, not taking it very sportily, they decided to solve it in their own way, killing the little brother by secretly giving him increasing doses of arsenic during meals. The boy died quickly, amid terrible suffering. The desperate mother had her little body embalmed and placed it inside a transparent display case along with her games, where it is still visible today for those who have the courage to enter the room where it is exposed. Since then, the ghost of the Marchesino and that of his mother gone mad with pain hovering in the castle, frightening the unfortunate onlookers. When it comes to dearest relatives…
THE TERRIBLE FUMONE SISTERS
During the XIX century, a branch of the noble Caetani Longhi family lived in the Fumone castle (splendid and still open to the public). The young mother Emilia had three daughters and a three year old boy, Francesco, whom she adored. The three females, much older than their little brother, were extremely jealous of him. In reality it wasn’t just a silly jealousy issue. In fact, the child would one day inherit all the family fortunes, being the only boy in the house. In times when gender equality was a mirage, it seemed a terrible injustice to the three girls. So, not taking it very sportily, they decided to solve it in their own way, killing the little brother by secretly giving him increasing doses of arsenic during meals. The boy died quickly, amid terrible suffering. The desperate mother had her little body embalmed and placed it inside a transparent display case along with her games, where it is still visible today for those who have the courage to enter the room where it is exposed. Since then, the ghost of the Marchesino and that of his mother gone mad with pain hovering in the castle, frightening the unfortunate onlookers. When it comes to dearest relatives…
THE HOUSE WITH CHANGING WINDOWS
This however is a more recent story, but certainly no less frightening. Along Via Casilina (exactly at km 68,700), going in the direction of Frosinone, on the right appears an old ruined house, half hidden behind an orderly row of trees. So far nothing in particular, you will say. The strange thing is they say all sorts of things about that house. It seems that it has always been impossible to mount fixtures, because the sizes of the windows change constantly. It is said that the night is much better to stay away from it, because of disturbing and inexplicable supernatural phenomena. What they depend on is not very clear, nor what happened in there so terrible. Who speaks of charred lovers, who of Nazi crimes, who of strange stories of Russian roulette, who of black magic. In short, consider it as you want: if for any reason you find yourself going over there in a dark and stormy night (as Snoopy would say), stay away and go straight ahead. Around it, it is full of hotels where you will certainly be much better.
THE HOUSE WITH CHANGING WINDOWS
This however is a more recent story, but certainly no less frightening. Along Via Casilina (exactly at km 68,700), going in the direction of Frosinone, on the right appears an old ruined house, half hidden behind an orderly row of trees. So far nothing in particular, you will say. The strange thing is they say all sorts of things about that house. It seems that it has always been impossible to mount fixtures, because the sizes of the windows change constantly. It is said that the night is much better to stay away from it, because of disturbing and inexplicable supernatural phenomena. What they depend on is not very clear, nor what happened in there so terrible. Who speaks of charred lovers, who of Nazi crimes, who of strange stories of Russian roulette, who of black magic. In short, consider it as you want: if for any reason you find yourself going over there in a dark and stormy night (as Snoopy would say), stay away and go straight ahead. Around it, it is full of hotels where you will certainly be much better.