Valmarecchia is a valley in the hinterland of Rimini, rich in history, mysteries and legends. Between medieval villages, castles and paranormal suggestions, this itinerary will take you to discover unique places such as the Castle of Azzurrina and the fortress of San Leo, without forgetting the tasty Romagna cuisine. An intriguing itinerary Valmare, the green valley in the hinterland of Rimini that guards the mystery of the evocative Azzurrina story.
To make a quiet weekend of mystery, it is not necessary to fly to remote Scotland: Italy is full of intriguing places where to let yourself be sweetly suggestive, obviously with a good dose of irony, enjoying yourself, otherwise what taste is there?
Some of these places are where you least expect it. For example, even a step away from the beaches and movidas Adriatic coast Romagnola. Precisely so, hidden between the folds of the rhyme hills, there is a unique itinerary that has been intriguing me for a long time, until I decided to travel it, even if only in part. And the surprises, as expected, have not missed!
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What to see in Valmarecchia: villages, castles and mysteries
A long seven-weekend of sun and sea in Bellaria, the last of the summer season, was the occasion that I expected to discover the hinterland and especially the Valmarecchia, that from Rimini is intrigued towards the heart of Montefeltro, embracing Mount Titan on which the Republic of San Marino is perched. A wide valley of green hills, surmounted by villages, castles and fortifications that tell centuries of rather enlivened history, made of disputes, attacks, invasions. And mysteries. 
Santarcangelo di Romagna: tuface caves and Romagna gastronomy
The first mystery we encounter along our path in Valmarecchia is that of Tuface caves of Santarcangelo, jewel village of perfectly restored medieval plant, where it is nice to miss strolling through alleyways, squares and beautiful noble palaces with flowering windows.
And yet, so neat beauty corresponds to the dark side of the approximately 160 caves dug in the heart of Mount Jupiter, almost an underground city, of which the origin and destination are ignored. Maybe they were catacombs, cellars or, who knows, places dedicated to the worship of the god Mitra? Scholars are still rolling to find an answer.
Meanwhile, to see them, do as we do and book a table at La Sangiovesa, the most famous restaurant in the town where you can enjoy the authentic gastronomy Romagna, from which it is easily accessed to some of these hypogees. We have visited Cave of the Colombaie, probably the most suggestive, which descends in the bowels of the village flanked by niches in which are arranged models in scale of doveies (from here the name) typical of the area.
At the end of the descent, here is the Source of Desires entitled to the legend of Penelope written by Tonino Guerra, Romagna doc who was habitual frequenter of the tavern together with Federico Fellini, author of the image of the local sign.
San Leo: the fortress of Cagliostro and its secrets
We then head towards San Leo, the last forced residence of Count Cagliostro, passed to history as an adventurer, magician, ciarlatan, alchemist, tombeur-de-femme and who knows what else, which ended his days in an ardent cell of the Rocca overlooking the Valmarecchia, accused of heresy.
According to the documents of the time his corpse would be buried nearby, but in reality the body lost all traces, feeding, as you can imagine, countless legends, more or less imaginative. Done that still today in his cell seems to happen inexplicable phenomena, which do nothing but feed the myth of Cagliostro and attract fags of curious visitors.
Montebello: the castle of Azzurrina
It's no less Castle of Montebello, more known as the castle of Azzurrina, millenary fortress that over the centuries was the scene of assaults, betrayals, killings and tragedies, as well as the disturbing Azzurrina story. Blue who? If you are passionate about mystery and unknown stories, you already know everything and more about the missing child and because at a distance of centuries its history is still current.
If not, you must know that Blue was the nickname of Guendalina Malatesta, a small blue-eyed albine daughter of Ugolinuccio di Montebello, disappeared in nothing at the age of 5, on 21 June of 1375, day of the summer solstice, while she ran the ball of rags with which she was playing, fell into a underground trapdoor.
Despite the research, the little one found no trace, but it seems that his spirit never abandoned the castle. Or at least so he wants the legend, according to which The ghost of Azzurrina is still wandering through the walls of the fortress, often making you feel your presence.
Night visit of the castle of Azzurrina between paranormal and suggestion
What? To find out we booked the night visit, which begins at 22.30 (the last one is at 23, in winter only on Saturday evening) and reveals the darkest side of the castle of Azzurrina and its history. Unlike regular day visits, which illustrate the history, architecture and the rich furniture of the noble residence of the Counts Guidi of Bagno, in fact, at the fall of darkness we focus on the paranormal suggestions that emanate the place.
The location of the rest lends itself to the great and between lugubri salons, steep spiral stairs and dark passages, I assure you that it is not so difficult to be impressed by the story of the sad story of Azzurrina and the apparitions of his ghost, that would occur every five years in the anniversary of the disappearance of the little, better if out impervert a beautiful thunderstorm with thunder and lightning, in the most classic noir style. 
That's it? Of course not. The story is obviously enveloped by the signs left by the spectrum around the palace and as in the best theatrical pitches, it can not miss the stage shot, which arrives punctually in the room where Azzurrina would be seen alive for the last time.
This is where we are made to listen to the recordings made at the castle by scholars of paranormal phenomena since 1990. They feel whispered, perhaps a hiccup of child, indecipherable sounds and then...a lugubre chorus of screams (human? ) away. It is at this point that, unavoidable, it takes the shiver along the back!
Even if you are healthy carriers of rigorous skepticism towards every phenomenon that does not have a rational explanation. It will be the tetra atmosphere of the castle, the fog rising from the valley, the clouds that obscure the moon, but those voices really make to shiver. At the exit, there are those who let themselves go to emotion, who seeks to give a logical explanation to what just seen and heard and who, simply, moves away as quickly as possible from the castle and its mysteries.
