Fairies and Necromancers of the Sibillini: legend and places

Fairies and necromancers of the Sibillini legend: what to know

The Sibyl and her fairies. The Grotta della Sibilla lies at about 2,150 m, just below the summit of Monte Sibilla. According to the legend, a prophetess known as the Apennine Sibyl lived there. The ladies of her court, who live with her in the cave, are identified by local tradition as fairies. According to local tradition the Sibyl was a good fairy, and her handmaidens came down to the valley to teach spinning and weaving, or to festivals to dance with the local young people.

What the fairies look like. The fairies have the face and body of young women, but the feet of goats. They loved to dance on full-moon nights. They secretly took the residents' horses to reach the squares of nearby villages and dance with the young shepherds. The fairies are also credited with introducing the dance called the "saltarello". They left the cave almost only at night and had to return at first light, so as not to be banished from the Sibyl's kingdom. The places they frequented were Lago di Pilato, the villages of Foce, Montemonaco and Montegallo, and the high plains of Castelluccio di Norcia and Pretare.

The Strada delle Fate. One night the fairies lingered too long at the dances and were caught by the dawn. The legend traces the Strada delle Fate (Fairies' Road), a fault line that crosses the slope of Monte Vettore horizontally at around two thousand meters, back to that headlong flight. One variant tells a different ending: the path formed because the fairies, caught by the first light, were turned to stone. The tale also has a geological side. It is an active fault, which over the centuries has caused several earthquakes. The earthquake of October 30, 2016 widened a rupture along that line. The memory of the fairies is still alive in Pretare, where a performance called "La leggenda delle fate" (The Legend of the Fairies) recalls the presence of these creatures.

The necromancers and Lago di Pilato. The lake is linked to the legend of Pontius Pilate, whose body is said to have ended up in its waters on a cart pulled by animals. This is the story told on the page on the Lago di Pilato legend. Its reputation as a cursed place made it a destination for magicians and necromancers, whom the people of Norcia soon came to distrust. According to tradition they arrived after a perilous journey to consecrate the "libro del comando" (book of command). The necromancer drew three circles on the ground, stood in the third and summoned the demon with whom he wanted to make a pact. The demon lent his evil services, and in exchange the necromancer gave up his soul.

How the authorities and the people reacted. From the 13th century the religious authorities are said to have forbidden access and had a gallows placed at the start of the valley as a warning. Dry-stone walls were built around the basin. It is also said that in the 15th century one of these "satanic pilgrims" ended up in pieces in the lake, and others followed. Antoine de La Sale speaks of a strong reaction by the inhabitants against the necromancers and of a suspicious attitude toward foreign visitors. Among farmers, until the 1960s it was believed that winds and storms were unleashed by passing magicians and witches.

A magician who rivaled the Sibyl. According to the legend, the Sibyl's antagonist lived in Agolla, in the municipality of Sefro. He was a magician who specialized in curses, author of a collection of spells called "Il libro delle virtù" (The Book of Virtues), now kept in Camerino.

The texts that fixed the legend. Two works made the cave famous. In Andrea da Barberino's Guerin Meschino (1410), the hero, searching for his parents, reaches the cave. He stays there almost a year, resists the amorous temptations of the fairies, saves his soul and leaves. The romance is presented on the page on the Guerin Meschino legend. The French writer Antoine de La Sale reached the cave in May 1420 and described it in the book Le Paradis de la Reine Sybille. His story is covered in depth in Antoine de La Sale and the Paradise of Queen Sibyl.

Fairies and necromancers of the Sibillini: the places of the legends today

The places in these tales can be visited in several seasons, but their altitudes are very different. Lago di Pilato lies at 1,941 m, can only be reached on foot and, for those organizing hikes, the best period runs from June to September. The Grotta della Sibilla, also reachable only on foot, is at high altitude too: the summit of Monte Sibilla reaches 2,173 meters.

Those looking for the atmosphere of the stories can keep two traditions in mind. The fairy tradition is tied to full-moon nights. Another says that after sunset small lights can be seen along the ridges, swaying as if carried by people walking, and some say they are the fairies climbing back up the slopes. These are folk tales, not a reason to walk at night at high altitude.

The dates of the performance "La leggenda delle fate" in Pretare should be checked before setting out, because they can change from year to year.

Fairies and necromancers of the Sibillini: practical tips

Grotta della Sibilla. It lies in the municipality of Montemonaco, near the summit of Monte Sibilla, and can only be reached on foot. Between 1953 and 1968 the cave's vestibule finally collapsed: today it cannot be entered and only the site of the entrance can be seen. Before climbing, it is worth asking about the current condition of the trail and the cave. After the 2016 earthquake this information is especially important.

Lago di Pilato. The lake is the only natural lake in Le Marche and lies at the foot of Monte Vettore. It is home to the Chirocefalo del Marchesoni (Marchesoni's fairy shrimp), a prehistoric crustacean discovered in the early 1950s. Swimming in the lake is not allowed. Today it is also forbidden to go closer to the shores beyond the maximum water level line.

Strada delle Fate. The fault runs along the side of Monte Vettore and is linked to the seismic movements of the area. Before a hike in the area, it is worth checking the weather and the condition of the trails.

Museums and performances. In Montemonaco, the Sibyl's Cave Museum is dedicated to the legend; it is currently closed for restoration. For opening times and visiting arrangements, check the up-to-date information from the museum and the Comune (town hall).

Further reading. Marina Montesano's book "...Sacro alle nursine grotte": storie di fate, cavalieri, negromanti nei Monti Sibillini, published in 2003 by the Istituto superiore di studi medievali "Cecco d'Ascoli", is an anthology of texts on the subject, set in the Sibillini Mountains.