Boing…boing…boing…
Did you hear that too? Didn't it sound like a bouncing 🏐 ball?
Perhaps, just that of Azzurrina, the 5-year-old girl who disappeared in 1375 in the tunnels of Castle ofMontebello 🏰 while playing with her ball.
The Fortress of Montebello, from the Latin ‘’Mons Bellis’’ (Mount of war) was built by the Malatesta to protect the ancient street ‘’Maior’’ that went up the Valmarecchia, the main link between Montefeltro and Tuscany.
Today Nikita will guide you to 436 meters above sea level and will tell you of the Castle discovering the legend of Guendalina, daughter of Ugolinuccio - the lord of the Castle, known by the nickname of ‘’Azzurina’’ and showing the charm of a nobility which is no longer there.
The legend of Azzurrina.
We go back in time, to the second half of 1300, when the castle of Montebello was inhabited by Ugolinuccio and his family.
Ugolinuccio had a daughter, Guendalina, who was albino. It’s because of the fact that she was albino she lived segregated in the House since at the time white hair was considered a sign of the devil. The mother had tried to dye them with natural pigments, but the hair did not retain the color assuming blue reflections, like her eyes, hence the nickname of the little girl.
On June 21, 1375, while playing with a ball, the little girl escaped from the control of the servitude and ventured down the stairs leading to the cellar to never return.
According to legend, every 5 years, on June 21, Guendalina returns to the Castle shouting “mom” and excruciating screams of pain.
The Castle of Montebello.
Do you wonder where Montebello is? Starting from the hotel ‘’Lungomare’’ it will take you just over thirty minutes to reach it, driving along the Provincial Road 13 (Santarcangiolese street) in the direction of Torriana.
Montebello, as I told you before, from the Latin ‘’Mons Bellis’’ means Mount of war - from the top of its 436 meters dominates the valley of Marecchia and Uso.
The fortress of the mountain is right on the peak, whose very first masonry construction is from the Roman era, dating back to the third century.
The stately residence dates back to the second half of 1400, when the Malatesta changed the counts Guidi Di Bagno, still legitimate owners.
The visit to the castle, which since 1989 is a museum and is considered national heritage for its high historical value, reserves many surprises for the treasures and secrets that are kept there. There are valuable furniture ranging from 1300 to 1700, imposing chests and storages. Among the most particular, there is an Islamic chest with a table depicting a bound woman as she is about to give birth. Brought to Italy in the year 1000 as the spoils of the Crusades, the chest actually tells of a method of birth control used in a local tribe.
If you are brave, you can also try the night visit, during which recordings dating back to the Nineties are listened to (transmission ‘’Mystery’’of Azzurina). The reactions of visitors are among the most diverse. To some it seems a cry of a child, to others a laugh, many say to hear a voice, to distinguish a word, many others claim to hear neither more nor less than wind and rain in the storm.
One thing is certain, the Legend of Azzurrina awaits you! 👻👻👻
ℹ Useful information.
Visits. Visits to the castle are always guided and are both day and night.
Cost. The cost of the ticket is 8.00 € for the day visit and 9.00 € for the night.
Children from 0 to 5 years do not pay.
Where it is. Via Castello di Montebello, 7, 47825 Poggio Torriana
Book a magical stay at ‘’Lungomare’’ when the summer solstice approaches! ;)