7 hours ago
(This post was last modified: 7 hours ago by davidjackson.)
Gosh, I'd forgotten all about Montemonaco! Many thanks for the reminder 
It's a fascinating bit of history.
IIRC the excommunication was used to force the locals back to the Church and to bring the area back under their political control. the locals had been running a bit wild and forgetting about their tithes, etc. The Church had been running quite a campaign against the business for some time (erecting walls and putting up decorative gallows) before eventually overreacting, as always.
What exactly was going up in the mountains is difficult to say after so many years, but the locals seemed quite happy to advertise it in order to bring in a bit of extra cash. Pragmatic as always, these Italians.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. is that the lake originally became known as the demon's lake because it hosts a unique species of shellfish which is red and swims upside down. These flashes of red, found nowhere else, and the general uniqueness of the lake in the region started a host of rumours.
It's a fascinating bit of history.
IIRC the excommunication was used to force the locals back to the Church and to bring the area back under their political control. the locals had been running a bit wild and forgetting about their tithes, etc. The Church had been running quite a campaign against the business for some time (erecting walls and putting up decorative gallows) before eventually overreacting, as always.
What exactly was going up in the mountains is difficult to say after so many years, but the locals seemed quite happy to advertise it in order to bring in a bit of extra cash. Pragmatic as always, these Italians.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. is that the lake originally became known as the demon's lake because it hosts a unique species of shellfish which is red and swims upside down. These flashes of red, found nowhere else, and the general uniqueness of the lake in the region started a host of rumours.