Best Places to Celebrate Halloween in Italy

Are you thinking of celebrating Halloween in Italy? If your answer is yes, here are the “most terrifying” ideas chosen for you by visit Italy

About the Traditions

When you say Halloween in Italy, there are still those who turn up their noses because we give space to a product and a holiday that does not belong to this country. But are we sure of this? Being a predominately Catholic country, Halloween was never a popular holiday in Italy. Instead, most Italians would celebrate All Souls Day and All Saints Day on the two days following Halloween.

While Halloween today is associated with Anglo-Saxon countries and especially the U.S., its roots lie deep in European traditions. Halloween is thought to have originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, a time associated with death. Samhain was celebrated on the night of October 31, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth; people would light bonfires and wear costumes to turn away the wandering ghosts. November 1 marked the new year. So it should not come as a surprise that many towns in Italy have celebrations on October 31 with traits that are similar to Halloween as we know it today.

 Best Places to Celebrate Halloween in Italy

The scariest night of the year is just around the corner. Halloween 2022 is here, and to celebrate, we’ve put together a list of the scariest places in Italy to visit on October 31st if you’re brave.  

Orsara di Puglia

In Orsara di Puglia, on the night between 1 and 2 November, the very ancient feast of “fucacost” (fire side by side) is celebrated: in front of every house, bonfires are lit to light the way home for the dead who, on that night, return home to visit the living. Meat is cooked on the embers of these bonfires, and everyone eats it together on the streets. On November 1, the traditional competition of decorated pumpkins takes place on the main square. The pumpkins are called “cocce priatorje”: heads of purgatory.

The House of Ghost Genoa

In Voltri, not far from Genoa, the “Ca’delle Anime” (House of Souls) is one of these terrifying places where you certainly do not want to spend the night this Halloween 2021.

Those who have paid a visit to this haunted house in Italy report strange sightings of ethereal bodies, accompanied by distant lamentations, giving this villa a truly ghostly reputation. Unfortunately, behind the legend there is a sad and terrible story: the house is an old inn, formerly run by two murderers who killed their guests, lowering on them a mobile ceiling, and then taking possession of their belongings.

For Holloween Celebration there are many events organized in Genoa including Ghost tours and workshops for children: it starts from Friday 29 October from the historic center to arrive at the Lanterna on 31 October.

From Friday 29 Sunday 31 October, for the alleys, appointment with the initiatives of the “Long weekend of the Mystery in Genoa – Ghosts of your own countries”. The project, directed by the Municipality of Genoa, Department of the Historic Center and the Major Events Office and Municipality I, sees the participation of the main historical groups of Genoese figures, and of various cultural and associative realities.

Corinaldo Marche

Corinaldo is a medieval village full of historical charm and traditions in the hinterland of Ancona. The best-loved Halloween festival in the Marche region happens here: since 1998, La Festa Delle Streghe (The Witches’ Festival) has taken place. An event for young and old alike, full of stands and themed attractions, such as the Tower of Transformations and the Tunnel of Fear. This year, it takes place October 27-31, when the small town in Le Marche transforms into an open-air Halloween-themed park.

The Miss Witch contest is an event within the event, which elects the Witch of the Third Millennium. Anyone can take part…men included!

Triora Liguria

Among the most famous Halloween celebrations held in Italy is the one happening in Triora (Imperia), a village in Liguria known as “the town of witches”. (Incidentally, Triora is part of the network “I Borghi Piú Belli d’Italia”, a list of Italy’s most beautiful medieval villages.) It is no coincidence that a big Hallween celebration takes place right here on October 30-31.

The Terrifying Legend:

In this village in the 1587 there was a trial of the innocent people. All the matter burst out due to a famine that had lasted for over two years. During a special session of the national Parliament of Triora (note: Triora of that time was part of comunal states with their own Parliamet) of that time, meeting in the central square. Suddenly someone from the crowd (which was attending that trial), blamed for the famine occurrences some women that were meeting at nighttimes in a place called the, “Cabotina”. They all, were accused of witchcraft (infanticide, carnal coupling with the devil, to cause storms that ruined the crop, to transform themselves into cats so that they could sneak into houses, to prepare poisonous potions, etc …).

In the very end, a total of three hundred women were accused and interrogated. Fifty of them were tortured and during that torturing some of them died. Today, the witches’ records of theirs confessions are exposed in the Trora museum.

Mozzano Tuscany

Not far from Lucca is Borgo a Mozzano, a small town in the Serchio Valley, the actual Tuscan capital of Halloween. The village is famous for the Devil’s Bridge, characterised by asymmetrical arches. Since 1993, the town has hosted Halloween Celebration, a series of themed events culminating on 31 October. Every year the legend of Lucinda, a noblewoman from Lucca who sacrificed her lovers to the devil to be eternally young and beautiful, is relived. There will also be a zombie parade, vampire-themed role-playing games, and many other frightening activities. It is not for children. 

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