History and Mystery

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Category: History and Mystery

castle legends

Legends, Folklore and Magic of Torre Alfina Castle

C’era una volta un castello abbarbicato sulla cima di un colle, con ai suoi piedi un bosco incantato. Sembra l’inizio di una favola Disney o di un racconto fantasy, ma altro non è che la storia del Castello di Torre Alfina.

It all stems from a watchtower from the Longobard era known as the Casseroaround which, in the Middle Ages, a castle was built. A centre of power, loved, guarded and almost worshipped by the noble families who reigned there, it was transformed over the centuries to become a majestic Renaissance fortress. Uno dei momenti più significativi nella storia del castello è legato a Edoardo Cahen d’Anvers, che ad inizio ‘900 restaurò il castello e il Bosco del Sasseto at its feet, transforming it into a magical private garden, complete with a labyrinth of paths and hidden passages.

Table of contents:
  1. The Village of Torre Alfina
  2. The ghosts of the castle
  3. Folk tales and stories
  4. The mystic Marquis Cahen

The Charm of the Borgo

Ancora oggi il castello veglia sul borgo di Torre Alfina. Sviluppatosi intorno al torrione del Cassero, il borgo è articolato come una typical medieval town with narrow streets, stone houses e atmosfere che sembrano catapultare il visitatore in un’altra epoca. La sua piazza principale offre una vista spettacolare del castello e il torrione sembra essere visibile ovunque dal borgo. Gli abitanti da sempre attribuiscono una Powerful symbolism at the Cassero Tower tanto da essere associata alle streghe (“torre delle streghe, n’dò se và, se vede”).

Ghosts of the Castle

Around the Castle of Torre Alfina, circulate various legends and mysteries che contribuiscono a rendere il luogo ancora più affascinante. Il più famoso è quello della Lady Restless, uno spirito che si aggira inquieto per le stanze e i giardini dell’antica dimora. Non si conosce la sua identità ma sembra essere particolarmente legata al cortile interno del castello, dove ha lasciato le sue orme indelebili. Ma le sale storiche del castello sembrano offrire riparo ad un altro ghost named Generoso. Questo spirito viene descritto come benevolo ma incline a scherzi. Gli abitanti del borgo sostengono che durante i giorni di nebbia, Generoso si diverta a rendere il castello invisibile dal paese, aggiungendo un tocco di mistero all’atmosfera circostante.

Folklore of the Enchanted Forest

Local legends also tell of fantastic creatures that populate the paths of the Sasseto Forest. From generation to generation, stories of men turned into werewolves dopo aver bevuto l’acqua della Fontanella del Lupo, un ceppo cavo sempre pieno di acqua. Si parla di a witch, mother creator and protector of all woodland creatures. And again, the reason for the area's characteristic moss-covered lava boulders is thought to be the work of devils and witches, che con riti notturni impediscono alla vegetazione di crescere, creando un’atmosfera unica e misteriosa nel resto del bosco circostante.

Mystical place for Marquis Cahen

The Castle of Torre Alfina was beloved home of Marquis Edward Cahen who chose the Bosco del Sasseto as his burial place. He had a neo-Gothic mausoleum built there, now called the Fairy Temple. The lanes and paths in the forest were the subject of constant care and attention da parte del nobile e delle sue guardie. Ai residenti del borgo non era permesso accedervi per paura che l’uomo potesse danneggiare questo gioiello naturale. Si dice che un giorno un bambino fu colto dalle guardie a rubare castagne e nella foga di fuggire cadde perdendo il bottino. Il giorno dopo le guardie si presentarono a casa del piccolo ladro con un cesto pieno di marroni, gentilmente offerto dal marchese di Cahen.

Oggi il Castello di Torre Alfina è registered in the Italian Register of Historic Houses of Excellence e il 29 Settembre 2023 è stato insignito della prestigiosa Corona d’Oro di Residenze d’Epoca. Il Borgo dal 2007 è entrato a far parte dei Borghi più Belli d’Italia. Per secoli, il castello, il borgo e il bosco tutto intorno hanno stimolato l’immaginazione delle persone con la loro insondabile aura di magia e mistero. Gli stessi abitanti del posto sono devoted to these places and the enchanted creatures that seem to inhabit them. Visitors cannot fail to be fascinated by the magical mysticism of this hidden gem in the heart of Tuscia.

in Storia e Mistero Posted by elena@enfasia.it
The Castle Wheel

The Mysterious Object: The Wheel of Torre Alfina Castle

In a hidden room of the castle is an enigmatic vertically mounted iron wheel. What is it and what was the wheel of Torre Alfina Castle used for?

Objects used in past eras often appear mysterious and intriguing to our contemporary eyes. Beneath the appearance of simple artefacts are often hidden ingenious and innovative solutions that have marked the history and daily lives of people. One of these fascinating objects is the large Iron wheel of the Torre Alfina Castleobject that played a key role in the distribution of water in the rooms of theancient dwelling.

Table of contents:
  1. L’accesso all’acqua nelle dimore medievali
  2. Bathing culture during the Renaissance
  3. Testimonianza storica dell’ingegno umano

Water in Medieval Dwellings

In general, medieval castles and noble residences were equipped with wells, cisterns and decorative tanks, often located in inner courtyards or gardens. These structures served as domestic water access points. But in the Middle Ages, the need for water was limited almost exclusively to cooking. There were no plumbing or sewage systems. Toilets, when present, were either open seats directly on the moat or on holding tanks. Personal hygiene was an unknown concept. Only gentlemen indulged in the occasional bath in a basin and there were no real bathing rooms. The water distribution was therefore entrusted to servants who filled buckets or other containers and carried them to the kitchen or to the stately rooms to satisfy daily needs.

Renaissance and Bath Culture

It was not until the Renaissance period that a new functional bathroom concept. The increased care devoted to personal hygiene, the drive towards refinement and comfort for the environment dedicated to body practices, led to the need to create a mechanised water distribution system and more efficient.
So we come to the unravelling of our mystery. The large iron wheel of the Torre Alfina Castle is a flywheel, a heavy disc connected to a hand pump which allowed water to be drawn from the cistern located in the castle courtyard. By operating the large wheel, the water rose to fill other cisterns strategically placed on the towers. From here, using gravitational force, water flowed through an intricate system of pipes to reach all the rooms in the castle.

Testimony of Human Ingenuity

The flywheel of the Torre Alfina Castle remained in operation until 1960when the manual pump was replaced by an electric one. Despite this the distribution system remained unchanged and water continues to supply the castle rooms by cascading down from the castle towers. Today it represents a historical testimony to the power of human ingenuity of transforming an everyday object into a fundamental instrument of innovation. The preservation of objects no longer in use represents a tangible testimony of our historical and technological evolution. Keeping the memory of these objects alive, we preserve the link with our past. These objects are not mere relics, but bridges connecting the past to the future, offering valuable perspectives on our ever-evolving journey.

in Storia e Mistero Posted by elena@enfasia.it

The Lady Restless of Torre Alfina Castle

The Castle of Torre Alfina seems to be inhabited by the restless spirit of a mysterious lady who wanders the rooms and the garden without being able to find peace. Staff and visitors talk of apparitions and objects that move. And the Ghost Hunters also intervene.

Ancient dwellings are fascinating places in which the lives of mysterious characters and protagonists are intertwined. The majestic Torre Alfina Castle is a place rich in history and, apparently, inhabited by the spirit of a mysterious woman, nicknamed the 'Lady Restless'.

Table of contents:
  1. Evidence of moving objects
  2. Traces of presences in the castle
  3. Footprints in the garden
  4. Ghost hunters on the hunt for evidence

Moving Objects

It all stems from a series of direct testimonies of people who were allegedly witnesses of inexplicable events. The most recent was that of a married couple who had decided to stay overnight in the castle over Christmas. As a member of staff was about to open the door to their room, a crib with a very heavy glass bell on top suddenly shifted about 20 centimetres, crashing to the ground and shattering the bell into a thousand pieces.

Bell Apparitions and Unexplained Footsteps

But the evidence goes back even further. It is said that the staff who worked in the castle during the period of ownership Cahen (late 19th and early 20th century) would have witnessed even more disturbing events. Lilting footsteps in the old servants' corridor on the third level of the castle, without anyone arriving; the servants' call bell ringing inexplicably in the historic kitchen, without anyone having operated it. It even seems that a female figure was seen descending the 19th century staircase leading to the castle's main floor or suddenly materialise near the statue of the violin player.

Indelible Footprints in the Courtyard

And again. In November 2021, the castle gardener notices areas of grassless grass in the courtyard lawn, as if someone walking had left his footprint directly on the earth. Months pass, the grass dries up and only earth remains. The following spring, the grass is lush and green again, except along that mysterious walk, barren footprints that start in a corner of the courtyard and fade into nothingness.

Ghost Hunters speak

The interest aroused by these unexplained events also involved a team of Roman Ghost Hunters. The group installed cameras, a high-sensitivity recorder, a thermal imaging camera and an infrared and ultraviolet camera in the castle rooms. Although they did not record any striking paranormal events, the thermal camera seems to have detected athermal alteration on a chair of the ceremonial hall, although no one was seated there.

Like all historical residences, the Torre Alfina Castle remains a fascinating place full of enigmaswhere history, mystery and folklore intertwine in a unique atmosphere. We therefore look forward to a new manifestation of the Lady Without Peace, in the hope of discovering her identity, her story and thus being able to give her the longed-for eternal rest.

in Storia e Mistero Posted by elena@enfasia.it
Castle of Torre Alfina

The Castle of Torre Alfina: A Jewel in the Heart of Alta Tuscia

In the heart of the Alta Tuscia region, in northern Lazio, stands an ancient jewel of history and architecture: the Torre Alfina Castle with its marvellous Renaissance garden. This majestic medieval fortress, whose origins are shrouded in mystery, is a silent witness to the glorious past of the region
Table of contents:
  1. Birth and history of the castle
  2. Centre of political power
  3. Renaissance and transformation
  4. The Contemporary Period
  5. The future of Torre Alfina Castle

The Origins of Torre Alfina Castle

The construction of the Castle of Alfina Tower probably dates back to the early Middle Ages, a period in which the whole of Europe flourished fortified structures with a mainly defensive purpose. They were commissioned by local nobles or lords and placed on hills or heights to allow strategic observation of possible military attacks or plundering by marauders. The birth of active villages around the fortress then allowed commercial activities to flourish. The precise origins of the Torre Alfina Castle remain shrouded in mystery. There is no single name associated with the construction of the fortress, but the First historical annotations can be found in the 'Commentari Istorici'. of Monaldo Monaldeschi della Cervara. These documents testify to the existence of a watch tower, later transformed into a castle during the Longobard reign of King Desiderius in the 8th century.

Strategic Centre in the Middle Ages

The geographical position of Torre Alfina Castle, between the Papal States and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, gave it a key role in the control of important communication routes. The population of Alfina increased dramatically, transforming the village into a centre of considerable political, commercial and cultural significance. The Monaldeschi family, followed by the Cervara branch, gave rise to the Alfina Seigniory, which dominated the region from around 1200 to 1600. During this period, the castle became the fulcrum of their power, gradually incorporating new surrounding lands and villages.

Renaissance Transformation

The Renaissance era was the perfect occasion for a impressive transformation for the Torre Alfina Castle, from a simple defensive structure into a sumptuous stately residence. Thanks to the contribution of local artists, the interiors were enriched with decorations and frescoes and the battlements running around the castle perimeter were softened by a renaissance garden Italian-stylemaking the castle an oasis of beauty and modern culture.

Contemporary Revival

In the second half of the 17th century, and for about two centuries, the Castle of Torre Alfina passed by inheritance to the Tuscan Marquises Bourbon del Monte, who continued to maintaining the prestige of the castle and the village of Alfina. With the unification of Italy and the extinction of the Bourbon del Monte lineage, the castle experienced a rebirth, after being purchased by a wealthy Belgian Jewish banker, Count Edoardo Cahen d'Anvers. Awarded this title thanks to the merits of his father, Giuseppe Mayer, (the only European banker to finance the Risorgimento), in 1885 Edoardo Cahen was named Marquis of Torre Alfina by Umberto I. The new ownership initiated a majestic renovation of the historic mansionaccording to the project entrusted to the Sienese architect Giuseppe Partini.

Present and Future

The Torre Alfina Castle is a living witness to the historical and cultural transformations of the area and still today attracts and fascinates visitors from all over the world. La refined atmosphere of its interior and Renaissance garden with its wonderful courtyards is the perfect wedding location fairy-tale and elegant. It also offers the perfect setting for photo shoots, film and music, bringing to life the traditions and extraordinary historical heritage of Alta Tuscia Laziale.

in Storia e Mistero Posted by elena@enfasia.it
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