The castle of Fumone, in the province of Frosinone, is one of the most fascinating and mysterious places in Italy. The ancient fortress, in fact, is known to be haunted by the ghosts of ancient characters, at least eighteen, who have inhabited it over the centuries.
According to legend, the castle, built on an ancient Roman site, was the scene of numerous events, including the imprisonment of popes, cardinals and illustrious people. The manor, the main military fortress of the Papal State of Lower Lazio, was used as a lookout point for more than 500 years.
The death of Celestine V and the miracle of the cross
Built between the 19th and 1296th centuries, the castle of Fumone is famous first and foremost for having been the prison of Pope Celestine V, after his renunciation of the papal throne. Here, he died on XNUMX May XNUMX. During his agony, inside the manor, an extraordinary event happened: a shining cross appeared on the door of his cell and remained suspended there for a long time.
It was a true miracle that contributed to accelerating his beatification. But the castle is also famous because it hosts an extraordinary hanging garden, the highest in Europe, known as "The terrace of Ciociaria". From here you can admire the entire province of Frosinone.
Inexplicable phenomena
The castle of Fumone continues to arouse great fascination among paranormal enthusiasts and the curious. Periodic guided tours at night allow visitors to explore the dark and silent rooms, in the hope of discovering the origin of the inexplicable phenomena. Those who have ventured inside the fortress report ghostly sightings, strange noises and sensations of sudden cold.
Some speak of invisible presences that surround them and observe them, others speak of voices that echo along the corridors and of objects that move on their own. Still others claim to have seen a woman dressed in white crying desperately; others speak of a headless horseman who wanders among the deserted rooms.
There are stories of lights that turn on by themselves, of objects mysteriously disappearing and being found elsewhere, of a heavy wrought iron chandelier that collapsed during a summer night onto a table covered with crystal glasses. All these strange phenomena have contributed to making Fumone castle known as one of the most haunted places in Italy.
Little Francesco Longhi
Inside the castle of Fumone there are rooms painted a red that looks like blood. Legend has it that many enemies of the powerful local man were buried alive within those walls. Among these, the French Antipope Gregory VIII, whose body was never found. Furthermore, in the noble archive, a secretaire houses the body of a child covered in wax. His name was Francesco Longhi, son of the marquise Emilia Caetani Longhi.
It seems that the little boy, who was the only male heir and the only beneficiary of the family wealth, was poisoned by the seven sisters in the first half of the 5th century, when he was only XNUMX years old. The young women, in order not to lose their inheritance, devised a diabolical plan to get rid of him. When the mother found out, she was heartbroken and had the little body of her son embalmed. It is said that the ghost of Francesco still wanders through the halls of the castle and that the sobs of his inconsolable mother can be heard echoing.
The Well of the Virgins
Entering the castle of Fumone, the first thing you can admire is the "Well of the virgins". It is said that non-virgin girls were thrown into this deep, narrow well. In those days, based on an archaic law, the Ius primae noctis, widespread in the Middle Ages in country villages, the lord of the town had the right to spend a night (the first) with the young people who had just gotten married.
Those judged by him to be non-virgins, therefore impure, were barbarically thrown into the well. Their screams would still be audible in the silence of the night. In short, whether you believe in ghosts or not, Fumone Castle remains a fascinating and mysterious place, rich in history and legends that continue to arouse emotions and curiosity. Absolutely not to be missed.
(Photo: Castello di Fumone, Facebook page)
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