When we talk about Triora, located in the hinterland of Liguria, in the province of Imperia, it is often done as in the town of the Witches. A settlement that dates back to the Roman era. Its relevance, however, begins in the sixteenth century. At the time, in fact, a bloody "witchcraft hunt" began. The first steps are taken in 1587, when the territory was hit by a strong famine. Considering the prevailing Counter-Reformation climate, it didn't take long to start pointing the finger at the supposed action of the devil. The demonic figure, and consequently the disaster, was believed to have been evoked by some local women.
In short, the Church intervened and sent to the place Jerome Del Pozzo, vicar of the bishop of Albenga. Thus began the interrogations and the local women were seized with pure terror. The means ofInquisitionand they had been activated and as many as thirteen women were captured and imprisoned. Many were the tortures to which they were subjected. Abominable torture in order to obtain extorted confessions. There are many known cases but the emblematic one can only be that of Franchetta Borelli.
The witch of Triora
As said, the witch hunt conducted to Triora led to the merciless torture of thirteen women. Two of these took their own lives, preferring suicide to that constant torture. The others, however, made the name of Franchetta Borelli. A mean and desperate strategy to save her life, pointing to her as the "most powerful witch of Triora".
A woman of noble birth, of whose tortures there are still testimonies. During the persecutions he suffered, he told the inquisitors: "I grind my teeth but you will say that I laugh." It was thus reported, in fact. In the official texts we read: "The woman laughs". Del Pozzo was later replaced by Giulio Scribari, famous for its ferocity. The man decided to transfer the eleven remaining prisoners to the Genoa prisons. Franchetta's interrogation took place at Palazzo Stella. A process that ended with the death of the woman, which occurred in mysterious circumstances.
There is no certain information but it seems he never confessed any guilt. After 48 hours of torture, in total delirium, he began to talk about the wind outside the window and the harm it would do to the unripe chestnuts. It seems that, all of a sudden, she threw herself out of that window, falling into the void. Her body was not found and popular belief has it that the devil took her in flight with him, guarding her soul forever.
The house of the witches
The occult occupies a lot of space in the local tradition, to the point that, even today, the symbol of the city of Triora is Cerberus. We cannot talk about witches without mentioning what is considered their home: the Cabotina. For the locals it was the theater of the sabbath, played in the moonlight.
All this only keeps tourism alive, since the tragedies of the time have become a source of annual festivals and events, which animate the life of the country. But what happened to the other women? Unfortunately, there is no certain news. We only know that, three years after the arrival of Scribari, the Parliament ousted the Inquisition. The women of mystery vanished into thin air.
Today this story lives again thanks to the Ethnographic and witchcraft museum, opened in 2016, located at the entrance to the town. Inside it is possible to find the documents of the trials and the reconstructions of the interrogations and torture of the witches. To keep the attention of tourists alive, we thought of witchcraft themed itineraries:
- Article: starts from the Witchcraft Museum, crosses the walls and passes from the central cistern, from Palazzo Borelli and beyond, ending at the Collegiata, with the oratory of San Giovanni from 1600
- curiosity: starts from the castle, descending from the top of the village until you reach the Poggio della Croce, one of the most romantic places in Triora, ending with the cabotina, San Dalmazzo and Palazzo Stella
- kids: ideal for families with children. Short route that retraces places suitable for children, following the areas that owe their name to the alleged witches
Photo source in evidence - Facebook Municipality of Triora
