How To Plan A Spooky Itinerary Around Tuscany

Commissioned by the Countess Matilda di Canossa of Tuscany in the 11th century and renamed the Ponte della Maddalena after an oratory dedicated to Mary Magdalene in the 16th century, it became known as the Ponte del Diavolo because of a popular legend. According to the tale, a master builder promised to build a bridge and became rather desperate when he realised he could not finish on time. One evening, while he sat on the bank of the river, the devil appeared in the form of a businessman promising to finish in a single night, in exchange for the soul of the first person to cross it. Upon completion, however, the builder became worried about it and ordered locals not to cross the bridge. He then went to Lucca to ask the bishop for help, who came up with the plan to have a pig cross the bridge. The devil, furious at having been tricked, threw himself into the water and was never seen in the area again. In addition to the creepy tale of the bridge, the town has an equally legendary festival that takes place each year in the days around Hallowe'en, with performances, a costume contest, a fireworks display, live music, a Halloween market, tours, dinners, and more. Just find a holiday rental in Lucca and come enjoy it all for yourself.

2. Siena's Ghost River

Siena has no river flowing through it so, centuries ago, the local government built an extensive twenty-five mile long underground aqueduct system to pump water around the city. It is comprised of a series of tunnels and passages but no proper rive, yet, despite this, many have claimed to have heard the sound of a large river gushing beneath the ground when walking around quiet parts of the city. A craze took over and people were determined to find the source of the noise, leading to wells being dug all over Siena in search for it. The river was never found and most people gave up searching for it but, to this day, there are reports of the sound of a gushing river on quiet nights in the city. If you want to experience the spooky phenomenon for yourself, just book a vacation rental in Siena and keep your ears sharp!

There are many more spooky spots all around Tuscany, however, so be sure to read on to the rest of this series to put together the ultimate creepy itinerary of this wonderful region in Italy!