The Sleeping Beauty

The Sleeping Beauty of Abruzzo


Morena Giannascoli


If I told you: "The Sleeping Beauty" what would you think? The Walt Disney animated film or perhaps the fairy tale written by Charles Perraul.
Instead I think of Abruzzo, Italy, where legends never die and where the Sleeping Beauty is the profile of the massive Gran Sasso Mountain seen from the Pescara area. From this perspective the Corno Grande and Mount Camicia are aligned to form respectively the face and breast of a woman lying on her back. With the clear sky and the sunset it becomes a wonderful scenario featured in many postcards and even in this beautiful youtube video that went viral on the web. 
According to the legend, the Goddess Maja fled from Phrygia and arrived in the harbour of a town called Ortona (read also Abruzzo Trabocchi) with her giant son Hermes, wounded in battle. They took refuge on the mountain tops and she tried to cure him with her maternal love using medicinal herbs, however the snow prevented her from finding the herbs and he died. Maja was heartbroken for her loss and she wept desperately for days and days on her son’s body; she finally buried him on the summit of the mountain but she was inconsolable. She kept wandering and wandering among the woods on the mountain in sorrow until when, consumed by tears and grief, she died too reappearing in the unique Sleeping Beauty of Abruzzo.
To this day, when the storm rages, the shepherds can hear Maja’s voice in the wind, desperate, invoking her son.
Isn’t that a fantastic legend? Then, prepare your suitcase and… 

Have a lovely journey!


Morena Giannascoli

If you liked this article don't forget to share :-)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdXyyV2kU_g






Location: Abruzzo, Italy

Comments

Unknown said…
Thank you so much! :-)
18 November 2017 at 09:54
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Size isn’t everything…

Image
Welcome to the Republic of San Marino: the fifth smallest country in the world and sole survivor of Italy's once powerful city-state network. According to tradition, it was founded by a Christian stonemason named Marinus in 301 and it's the world's oldest republic.   The site "San Marino: Historic Center and Mount Titano" has become part of the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008. All lovers of history, and those who love picturesque panoramas, must visit this tiny nation.  Three fortresses - Guaita, Cesta, and Montale - crown the long ridge of Mount Titano; they are linked by a paved path and each of them has a tower from which there are splendid views of the Apennines, the coastal plain, Rimini and the sea. The capital, San Marino city, is set high on the western side of Mount Titano, beneath the fortress, and is encircled by triple walls. Borgo Maggiore, further down, was for centuries San Marino's commercial centre, and Serravalle, beneath its
Read more

They are all crooked!

Image
They are all crooked ! A journey among some of the most incredible crooked buildings in the world Morena Giannascoli “There are no straight lines or sharp corners in nature. Therefore, buildings must have no straight lines or sharp corners.” Antoni Gaudi Here is an interesting list of crooked buildings that challenge the laws of gravity every day with their inclination giving their cities that touch of peculiarity. Some of them have become crooked over time while others are deliberately constructed by architects. ITALY , The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the most recognized leaning tower. The tower's tilt began during construction in the 12th century, caused by an inadequate foundation  on ground too soft on one side to properly support the structure's weight. The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed in the 14th century. It gradually increased until the structure was stabilized (and the tilt partially corrected
Read more

Abruzzo Trabocchi

Image
ABRUZZO TRABOCCHI By Morena Giannascoli Long time ago, on the Adriatic coast, fishermen erected wooden constructions clinging to the rock to capture the best of the marine fauna. These fishing machines made of logs and ropes are called trabocchi, and they follow each other with the joy and whim of youth from Ortona to Fossacesia, a coastline that today represents one of the wonders of the Mediterranean: the Coast of Trabocchi. From the hills above them, among scented brooms, olive groves and vineyards rich in their precious fruits covering the landscape, you can see these strange creatures that from the coast stretch out to the sea through a wooden pier. They seem like spiders intent on running their feet in blue waters and with antennas protruding forward to find the best fish. Over the years, many artists have represented the trabocchi in their works: painters, writers, photographers. Gabriele D'Annunzio also wrote: "The machine seemed to live a life of its own, to h
Read more