05 Nov Mysterious Places in Apulia: Where Legends and Reality Meet
We always repeat how Apulia is such a sunny, cheerful and exciting region, with its Mediterranean light and colours (and it really is!), but you perhaps don’t know that there are also many mysterious places in Apulia, places where history and myth mix.
Then, if you love legends and strange stories of mysteries and uncanny phenomena and have an interests in ghosts and witches, keep on reading: this article is right for you!
Mysterious Places in Apulia: the Haunted Castles
Apulia has a long and rich history and its territory is full of castles, once inhabited by noble families, whose mixed fortunes were the source of tales and legends, that still endure in the local culture… but are they only tales? Who knows…
The Castle of Trani
This beautiful castle, situated directly on to the sea, is said to be haunted by the ghost of a white-dressed lady, Armida. She was punished by her husband for being unfaithful: she was locked in a cell and left there to starve to death. She is still wandering about the castle, crying and grieving, and people say she usually appears when it is full moon.
A view of the Castle of Trani (iltaccodibacco.it)
The Castle of Gioia del Colle
Situated in the old town centre, on the top of a hill, this castle is haunted by the ghost of Bianca Lancia, the last wife of Emperor Frederick II. She is a very popular character in Apulian legends and she is said to appear in many other ancient places.
The throne room of the castle of Gioia del Colle (wikipedia.org)
Castle of Sannicandro di Bari
Another love story is at the origin of the legend connected to this castle: a young woman called Mencia fell in love with a Spanish officer. As they were poor, she stole money so that they could leave and start a new life elsewhere.
But the two lovers were arrested and the man was hanged. Mencia was forced to marry another man but committed suicide because of despair: from that moment on, her ghost started haunting the castle!
Aerial view of the Castle of Sannicandro di Bari (iltaccodibacco.it)
Castle of Carlo V in Monopoli
Like the castle of Trani, also this one is situated directly in front of the sea, and its legend is connected with the sea, too!
It is said that the ghost of a lady keeps on beating a drum, to call her husband lost at sea, hoping for him to come back. Many inhabitants, especially fishermen, say they have actually heard the drum from the castle; some say this sound might be caused by the infiltration of sea water in the foundations of the castle, but it isn’t certain.
The castle of Carlo V in Monopoli (wikipedia.org)
Castle of Oria
This very ancient castle, situated in a very strategic position on the top of a hill, is the protagonist of two different legends!
The first one says that the very castle is haunted by the ghost of Bianca Guiscardi, a young and beautiful girl who had tried to seek refuge there from a powerful and violent man who wanted to marry her; when she realized she could not escape, she committed suicide… and still nowadays it is said she wanders in the rooms of the castle and looks out of the windows.
The other one is the legend of “Oria fumosa” (smoky Oria): it was said that at every sunset a dense haze used to rise from the near swampland to surround the hill, in order to hide the castle and the town of Oria from the sight of possible enemies and to protect the population from assaults.
A view of the town of Oria with its imposing castle (wikipedia.org)
Mysterious Places in Apulia: the Witches of Salento
There is a long tradition about the presence of witches in Apulia, especially in Salento: here there are many towns and peculiar areas which are considered the places where witches used to meet at night.
The famous “Letto della vecchia” in Giuggianello, Salento (wikipedia.org)
A typical menhir in Salento (dolmenhir.it)
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Lots of (Apulian) love!
♥♥♥ Claudia
[your friendly neighborhood wedding planner]
Cover photo: Salento Grand Tours
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