lady without peace

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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. Access to water in medieval dwellings
  2. Bathing culture during the Renaissance
  3. Historical testimony of human ingenuity

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
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