When anyone mentions the Romagna region, the first thought that immediately springs to mind is good food, summer, hospitality and the pleasant drawl of the locals. We would like to propose an alternative destination, with an entirely different spirit!

Set out on a new adventure to discover a different Romagna by visiting the Castle of Montebello. The castle is located in the province of Rimini in Montebello di Torriana, a city famous for its excellent honey, which dominates the castle from above with its 436 metres above sea level.

Like the majority of castles, it is surrounded by a fortress. The castle is located in a strategic position from where you can admire the beautiful panorama over the Marecchia and Uso river valley. However, the feature that makes this castle truly special is the legend that has accompanied it for centuries.

The protagonist of this story is Gwendoline, the young daughter of the feudal lord. The child was born an albino and the story narrates that in an attempt to hide her diversity, her parents dyed her hair. The dye didn’t have the desired effect and her hair turned from white to blue, thus sealing the nickname the girl was known by from that moment on.

On 21 June 1375, Azzurrina suddenly disappeared without trace from inside the old Fortress, never to be seen or heard of again.

Even though this story does not appear to be that gruesome, with time it has been enriched with fantastic details and shrouded in lugubrious mystery, becoming a folk story which still entices many tourists to come and visit the castle.

Every five years, on the day the little girl disappeared, numerous sound technicians interested in paranormal phenomena flock to the castle, armed with technological devices in an attempt to capture and decipher the noise that many swear sounds just like a moan, laugh or voice.

The castle has been open as a Museum since 1989: all you have to do now, is decide whether to visit the castle by day or if you pluck up enough courage for a nocturnal visit.