Myths and legends of Campli

In the mountains and in the countryside
Many of the legends of the countryside and mountain areas are related to fantastic and scary tales for children. During the long and cold winter nights, by the crackling fire of the fireplace, the old people told stories related to particular places: dangerous ravines, caves with secret passages, woods populated by mysterious creatures and ruins of ancient castles, where to find treasures guarded by not reassuring characters. Such stories were a way to persuade children from going to those places but also to prepare them for the dangers of life.

Other legends, as Don Pasquale Del Paggio affirms in “Il mio Paese”, dedicated to the old theme of Guerino the mean, Buovo di Antona and the royals of France who populated the minds of children. Other stories "climbed up on the exploits of Charlemagne, Orlando and the famous Paladins who made our mothers and grandmothers shed tears of emotion". From the emotion created through the story of weapons, love, brigands and looting, myths and legends are born about the feudal castles that surround the territory of Campli.

The legend of the Arnario hill
Among the most famous legends of Campli is that of Arnario hill. It is said that a famous brigand built a castle on the hill and that a great treasure was hidden under its ruins, guarded by the devil who unleashed terrible storms. To counter the demonic entity, a cross was placed and, for a period, these phenomena ceased. Believing that the devil had been defeated, two young men from Campli, together with the parish priest, decided to go to the hill to look for the treasure but the devil, who had only hidden himself, killed the two boys by throwing a thunderbolt and threw the priest in Castelnuovo of Campli, in front of the Church of Saint Giovanni where today you can still see a plaque with an inscription that recalls the event: «1514 in the neck of Arnario was a castle, against storms, a cross was placed .... 1656 again remittance ».

The legend of the golden calf
The legend of the golden calf is also linked to Arnario hill and tells of a castle without water, where a baron lived surrounded by his seven daughters who, every day, since the castle was without water, had to go to the river. To avoid fatigue for the girls, the baron decided to equip the manor with a large room that served as a cistern. During the excavations to carry out the artefact, the legend tells of a precious find: a calf with golden horns. Following this discovery and for the convenience of the presence of water, the locals began to build their homes around the castle. Even a sister of the baron who got married in the "Li Mancini" family, to which the patronage of the primitive church of Saint Liberatore belonged, moved there with her family. The “Li Mancini” hamlet was born from this legend, then Villa Camera, the current name of the hamlet of Campli.