Theme trail · 8 stops
Devils and Little Devils of Italy
“In Italian legends the devil often loses: the farmer is cleverer.”
In Italian legends the devil builds bridges, gets stuck in columns and disguises himself as an elf. But almost always he ends up tricked: by a little dog sent ahead, by a humble friar, by a saint with a well-aimed kick. This trail is a small gallery of defeated devils.
The Ponte del Diavolo of LanzoPiedmontIn Piedmont the devil built a bridge in one night and ended up with a little dog.
The Ponte del Diavolo of Borgo a MozzanoTuscanyIn Tuscany the same trick worked a second time, over the river Serchio.
The Colonna del Diavolo of Sant'AmbrogioLombardyIn Milan the devil was left with his horns stuck in a column.
The Devils of Val VenyAosta ValleyIn the Aosta Valley a barefoot friar drove them away where the bishops had failed.
The Devil of TufaraMoliseIn Molise the devil runs through the streets in chains, and in the end Carnival itself is put on trial.
The MazapégulEmilia-RomagnaIn Romagna the little devil, the Mazapégul, is small and hairy, and he sits on your chest.
The BuffardelloTuscanyIn the Garfagnana the Buffardello arrives with the wind and turns the kitchen upside down.
The BabàuPiedmontAnd the most famous of all, the Babàu, does not even have a face: his name alone is enough to send children to sleep.
Next trail: Giants
Who's behind this
Ciro Simone Irmici
I build websites, apps and games. I built the Atlas with artificial intelligence and I check every card and every source myself. I am not a scholar of mythology: I tell these legends with respect and always say where they come from. If you know a legend from your town, write to me.
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