Overview Tour of Triora – City of Witches.
Triora is a picturesque village nestled amongst forested valleys on Italy’s Ligurian coast. It is officially recognised as one of the most beautiful villages in the country. Triora is famous for the 16th century witch trials and public executions of those found guilty, which are described in the local museum.
The ancient village of Triora is nestled at the foot of Mount Trono, overlooking the Argentina Valley. The town has preserved its medieval appearance virtually intact. In the very centre of the town you can find ancient streets, arched galleries and many attractions, among them the Ethnographic Museum of Witchcraft – The Ethnographic Museum of Triora is the only one in Italy where one of the rooms is entirely dedicated to witchcraft.
Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta – Inside the church is richly decorated, the most famous painting dating from the 14th century is “The Baptism of Christ” by Taddeo di Bartolo, a painter from Siena. The church of San Bernardino – famous for its frescoes. The ruins of Castrum Triorae, which give the town a mystical appearance, and the so-called Cabotina, the square where witches were burnt.
At perhaps the most interesting attraction in Triora is the Ethnographic Museum of Witchcraft, created to reconstruct village life in the Middle Ages and preserving records of the famous trial of 1588. In that year, a terrible famine struck the region and the Holy Inquisition blamed many local women for the famine. Hundreds of women were declared witches, many were brutally tortured, and more than a dozen were burned alive. The women hung garlands of garlic on their daughters to keep them safe.
Besides the infamous trial, the museum introduces visitors to prehistoric exhibits and animal remains. The religious monuments of Triora are also interesting, such as the collegiate church of Santa Maria Assunta and the chapel of San Giovanni Battista, with 18th-century sculptures by Anton Maria Maragliano and a valuable wooden altar. Inside, various works of art have been preserved, including a painting by the Sienese master Taddeo di Bartolo, who lived in the 14th century.
There are also the ruins of five fortresses in Triora, the fortified fortress of Fortino and the castle of Castrum Triorae, which give the town a mystical appearance.
The ruins of the city’s five fortresses, the fortified fortress of Fortino and the castle of Castrum Triorae can also be seen in Triora.
