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
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