For millennia, the silent and elegant Montebello Castle has stood watch, offering a captivating journey through history, art, and nature.
It invites us to discover its hidden treasures and mysteries...
The Legend
A girl named Guendalina was born with albinism. At the time, white hair and very pale skin were considered signs of bad luck or associated with the devil.
To protect her from public prejudice and potential accusations of witchcraft, her parents kept her confined within the fortress, guarded by armed sentries.
In an attempt to conceal her albinism, her mother tried dyeing her hair using plant-based dyes.
The plant pigment reacted with her white hair, creating blue highlights—giving rise to her famous nickname, *Azzurrina* ("Little Blue One").
On June 21, 1375—the summer solstice—Azzurrina was playing inside the castle with a rag ball while a fierce thunderstorm raged outside.
As she chased the ball, it fell into a trapdoor leading to the *nevaia* (an underground ice cellar). Moments later, the guards heard a desperate scream.
They rushed to the underground chambers but found neither the ball nor the girl. Guendalina vanished into thin air and was never seen again.
According to local folklore, every five years-coinciding with the summer solstice on June 21-
the girl's voice can still be heard echoing through the halls of the fortress.
Via Castello di Montebello 7, Poggio Torriana (Rimini)
(approx. 27 km)
Tel. 0541-675180
Open
Saturdays and Sundays
14:30 – 17:30
It invites us to discover its hidden treasures and mysteries...
The Legend
A girl named Guendalina was born with albinism. At the time, white hair and very pale skin were considered signs of bad luck or associated with the devil.
To protect her from public prejudice and potential accusations of witchcraft, her parents kept her confined within the fortress, guarded by armed sentries.
In an attempt to conceal her albinism, her mother tried dyeing her hair using plant-based dyes.
The plant pigment reacted with her white hair, creating blue highlights—giving rise to her famous nickname, *Azzurrina* ("Little Blue One").
On June 21, 1375—the summer solstice—Azzurrina was playing inside the castle with a rag ball while a fierce thunderstorm raged outside.
As she chased the ball, it fell into a trapdoor leading to the *nevaia* (an underground ice cellar). Moments later, the guards heard a desperate scream.
They rushed to the underground chambers but found neither the ball nor the girl. Guendalina vanished into thin air and was never seen again.
According to local folklore, every five years-coinciding with the summer solstice on June 21-
the girl's voice can still be heard echoing through the halls of the fortress.
Via Castello di Montebello 7, Poggio Torriana (Rimini)
(approx. 27 km)
Tel. 0541-675180
Open
Saturdays and Sundays
14:30 – 17:30