Over the summertime my good friend Annie invited me to spend the weekend at her in-laws. They online in Fiuggi. It’s only an hour south of Rome however at least a great ten degrees cooler.
I occurred to see during Fiuggi’s sagra. It was outstanding. When a big group of people started to do the electric Slide, I fell out. Seriously. right here I was in a little hill town in the middle of Italy (I saw only one other black person there) as well as people were doing this:
Another highlight of my weekend was our trip to Castello di Fumone, (aka Castello di Longhi). The tour (in Italian) was extremely interesting.
The castle was developed sometime between 244 – 455. The name means “Big Smoke.” The area was extremely strategic provided its high elevation. big smoke signals were released to warn towns as well as cities as far away as Rome about invaders.
In 1584 Pope Sixtus V asked the noble Longhi household to take over the upkeep of the castle. It had fallen on difficult times. They did as well as brought it back to life. members of the household still online in the castle.
Castello di Fumone has one of the largest roof gardens in Europe as well as the views are spectacular.
There were many style aspects for me to savor. Annie most likely got ill of me not keeping up with the group since I was as well hectic taking photos.
How gorgeous is this decorative wall painting? It represents the Longhi family’s crest as well as colors. I might see a extremely great wallpaper influenced by it.
You understand one of the purchasers at Restoration Hardware has a picture of this chair on an motivation board.
Castello di Fumone was in the news after Pope Benedict abdicated his papacy. He was the very first pope to do so in seven hundred years as well as only the second pope to abdicate.
The very first pope to resign was Pope Celestine V. He was caught as well as locked up in a small cell in the castle by his predecessor. He died ten months later at age eighty-six.
Annie as well as I might barely in shape into the cell. I pictured this old guy sleeping on chilly stone floors. I assumption his fate was much better than the guy who was buried to life in the castle walls.
Thanks to my extreme picture taking, I miss part of the tour in the archives room. It was for the best. Annie filled me in later.
In the 1800s Marquise Emilia Caetani Longhi had seven daughters. She as well as her other half then had a son, Francesco. His sisters, worried that they would be cut out of their inheritance (everything would go to the male heir), slowly poisoned him to death. nobody understood exactly how he died up until years later when one of the sisters confessed upon the death of her parents.
It is stated that the ghosts of Francesco as well as his grieving mom can be heard wailing throughout the castle.
His body as well as a few of his personal products are kept in a wooden cabinet.
Warning: picture of a mummified young child below.
This freaked me out.
Portrait of Marquise Emilia Caetani Longhi
I believed after hearing about bad Francesco, that would be it for gruesome stories as well as we might return to a discussion about all the incredible art.
That was not the case. I noticed a well when we very first walked into the castle. I asked Annie about it as well as she stated all would be explained later.
Apparently, back in the day brides had to see the Baron of the castle on their wedding event night. If they were not virgins (how the Baron would know/find out this information, I have not a clue), they would be thrown down the well. WHAT IN THE WORLD?!
There is a great deal of history (and shenanigans) inside the walls of this castle. Thanks, Annie for the organizing the trip!
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