The Crow Baron and Roccascalegna
Perched precariously on top of a cliff in the Secco Valley in central Italy is a dilapidated castle, the Castle of Roccascalegna. At the bottom of the cliff lays a small village that was founded in 600. We love a dilapidated castle, it’s very on brand, but what’s even more on brand is that in the 17th century it housed Corvo de Corvis aka The Crow Baron.
The castle, also known as The Castle in the Sky, was built originally to guard the valley it oversaw and to protect the land from pirates and other invaders, the valley was known as Death Valley. In the 15th century the castle was made bigger but by 1700 it lay abandoned.
But we’re here to talk about Corvo de Corvis. He was an incredibly evil man – he insisted on insane amounts of taxes being paid to him and when he was 45 years old he introduced “jus primae noctis” which ensured every bride spent their nuptial night with him instead of their new husbands.
The reason for the Crow Baron nickname came from a raven he kept, somewhere down the line some messages got crossed and it became a crow, but historians insist it was indeed a raven, as black as night. When villagers came to the castle they were told to kneel in front of this raven and in his down time, the raven would be perched at the castle door to watch the activities of those entering or leaving the village. If someone refused to kneel before the bird, they were arrested and even sometimes killed.
Corvo de Corvis spent many decades terrorizing the poor townsfolks and when anyone angered him, including a parish priest who protested publicly, he would punish them and kill them in front of everyone as a warning.
But – all villains have their downfall. One night a young bride was unfortunately in his bed on her wedding night. She’d had enough and stabbed him in the heart while he slept with a dagger. She then fled as he stumbled around the hallways bleeding and dying. As he succumbed to his injuries he placed his bloody hand on one of the walls by his bed. The stain of that final mark was rumored to have been visible on the stone until 1940 when the bedroom collapsed into ruin due to environmental factors. It was also said anyone who washed away the blood stain would see the mark appear again the next day.
On stormy nights his ghost stalks the halls reliving his death over and over with his raven flying overhead. Ghost hunters have done investigations there reporting hearing the Baron screaming and footsteps pounding the halls.
In 1985 the township below took over the control of this empty fortress and began to restore it over the period of 10 years, an incredible feat. You can visit Roccascalegna but only certain parts are open to the public – the keep, the prison, the walls, and the inner courtyard. Even better? You can rent it for an event for $110. So, we know where I want to get married.
There’s many other legends associated with parts of the village and the fortress. On November 1st of every year it’s said that the dead will gather at the Abbey. There’s also rumors of buried treasure.
So, book an event, take a walk up to the fortress and take in the incredible views of the valley below and keep an eye out for a raven.
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