A Haunted Abbey For Monday Mystery...!

When it comes to places being haunted, religious buildings are reported just as often as regular ones. No place is immune, I reckon.

One thing about this next place, it has a very interesting history. That is worth a lot in a decent ghost story, ya know. The better known the place is, the better the story of hauntings is. At least, that's what I've been told!

The Lucedio Abbey

Photo via Wikimedia

The Lucedio Abbey, located in the province of Piedmont, is said to be one of the most haunted places in Italy. It was built by Cisternian monks in 1123 on land given to them by the Marquis of Monferrato. It later became a major cultivator of rice in the region, until it was secularized and sold off by the Vatican in 1784. After passing through a number of different owners (including Napoleon) the abbey has now been incorporated into a modern rice farm.

Due to its (alleged) grisly history, the abbey has spawned a number of legends. When the area is foggy, ghostly monks can be discerned wandering through the mist. One of the buildings possesses a pillar that inexplicably becomes wet, “crying” for all the evil things it has seen. During a restoration of one of the abbey’s houses, a perfectly preserved man is said to have been found buried inside a wall. More corpses can supposedly be found in the crypt, where the mummified bodies of former abbots sit in a circle of thrones, preventing the release of a monster trapped underground. The surrounding countryside is also said to be haunted: A hooded figure can be seen roaming the countryside, and one local church possesses a painting of an organ pipe and piece of sheet music known as the “Sheet of the Devil.” If the notes on the painting are played in reverse, the piece can apparently summon Satan himself.

Now I don't know about you, but I'm in no hurry to spend the night in this place. Not that I believe the stories, but why take the chance, ya know?

Coffee out on the patio this morning.