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Gandy, RJ

Fortean Traveller 122 - Magical Heights: , San Leo and Count Cagliostro http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/13626/

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Gandy, RJ (2020) Fortean Traveller 122 - Magical Heights: San Marino, San Leo and Count Cagliostro. Fortean Times (FT396). ISSN 0308-5899

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http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/ Fortean Traveller

Marino, through wonderful 122. Magical Heights: San Marino, countryside. It is considered one of Italy’s most beautiful villages, and was capital of the San Leo and Count Cagliostro Italian kingdom between 961 and 963. According to legend, San Leo was founded by Leo, In early April 2019, ROB GANDY travelled with his wife Margaret to the Emilia- another stone-cutter from Romagna region of Italy and San Marino, ahead of a trip to Rome. He was not Dalmatia and friend of the aforementioned Marinus (before looking to find anything fortean – but something fortean found him... they both became saints), in order to spread the word of God. The village’s cobbled square is flanked by a ninth- century parish church and a Romanesque cathedral, home to centuries’ worth of art. Dominating the village is the large and spectacular fortress that sits atop the ancient Mons Feretrius at an elevation of 2,000ft (600m) above sea level. San Leo was always valued for its strategic situation, overlooking and helping to control the Val Marecchia. The current fortress was primarily built by the famous Sienese architect and engineer Francesco di Giorgio Martini in the late 1470s, and, with its squat round towers giving a sense of impenetrability, is one of the best examples of his ideas put into practice. He TONI PECORARO / CREATIVE COMMONS PECORARO / CREATIVE TONI ABOVE: A view of the forbidding Fortress of San Leo, where Cagliostro was imprisoned until his death in 1795. was the author of “a treatise on civil and military architecture” which inaugurated a new era an Marino is the capital fleeing Roman persecution. in fortification, and was much of the Republic of His séances The city is clearly something admired by Leonardo Da Vinci. San Marino, a small were the rage of a tourist centre, as witnessed The fortress employs the natural Sindependent country by the number of school and cliff face, bulwarks, corbels and surrounded by Italian territory. coach parties clambering up machicolations (floor openings Football fans will be aware of fashionable and down its steep streets and between the supporting corbels of it because its team is often along the path connecting the of a battlement, through which considered to be the worst Paris society towers. It is certainly a ‘must stones could be dropped on national side in the history visit’ location if you are in this attackers at the base of a of the sport; up to 2014 it had neck of the woods, and though defensive wall), along with only ever won one match of ancient defensive system and it’s not a particularly fortean innovative elbow-shaped walls 155 played, conceding 667 are celebrated on the country’s destination, there are several (as opposed to the largely goals (and scoring just 23) in flag and coat of arms. The first, fortean-themed attractions, circular design previously used). the process. 1 In fairness, it , was constructed in the with a heavy reliance on Control of San Leo moved from should also be mentioned that 11th century and was famous waxworks: two torture-related the Byzantines to the Lombards San Marino scored the second for being impenetrable, which museums (I didn’t expect and on to the Papacy, largely fastest goal in FIFA World Cup greatly discouraged attacks on the San Marino Inquisition), due to events elsewhere rather qualification history, against the city. At 2,477ft (755m) above a Museum of Curiosities, and than the fortress itself falling England (!) on 17 November sea level, there are fantastic the Museum of Vampires and into enemy hands. Indeed, one 1993 (8.3 seconds) before going views in all directions: the Werewolves! 2 Exactly why the of the only times it was taken by on to lose 7-1. While the lower Adriatic to the east at city should find itself host to force involved an intrepid raid reaches of the Republic are and the Apennines to the west. such curiosa I cannot say. in 1441, when enemy soldiers typically urban, the city itself Legend has it that the city was We had a spare day before scaled the mountain during the sits atop rugged Mount Titano, founded by the Dalmatian setting off for Rome, so my night and took the Malatestas by with its mediæval old town and stone-cutter Saint Marinus friends and colleagues, Alberto surprise. Machiavelli called this cobbled streets. There are three and several Christian refugees and Pietro, suggested they crag-top fortress Italy’s finest towers along its eastern ridge, in the year 301 and became a take us to San Leo, a little over military redoubt, while Dante which formed part of the city’s centre for Christian refugees 13 miles (21.5 km) from San drew inspiration from the castle

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396 TRAVELLER v3.indd 74 30/07/2020 17:20 for parts of Purgatory in The d’Egitto’ he was seen as openly kept their treasure during that looked onto the staircase, Divine Comedy. challenging the Church. the numerous and repeated which guards could use to check It was upon arrival at the On a visit to Rome in 1789 assaults on the castle. The on him. Otherwise, the only entrance of the fortress that he met two people who were soldiers on duty day and night way into (or out of) the cell things got distinctly fortean: spies of the Inquisition (some were ordered not to talk to the was through a trap door in the there before us was a sign accounts suggest his wife prisoner, who had also been ceiling, which connected with referring to Alessandro Count betrayed him, denouncing banned from using paper, pen the guardhouse, immediately Cagliostro. Cagliostro was him as a heretic, magician and and ink. Access to the fortress above. The prisoner was renowned as an alchemist, Freemason). He was arrested was constantly monitored and lowered into the cell through occultist, and magician who and imprisoned in the Castel all foreigners banned. But this hatch, as was his food. claimed to be capable of psychic Sant’Angelo, before being tried there were rumours that some Supervision by the guards was healing and scrying, although for heresy and sedition and of Cagliostro’s supporters continuous. Indeed, they could many viewed him as a charlatan sentenced to death in 1790. were plotting his escape, and keep Cagliostro under watch and adventurer. His life is His Masonic manuscripts, therefore Count Semproni, without themselves being seen, shrouded in rumour, propaganda regalia and instruments were the man in charge, decided to which was important to them and mysticism; it was only publicly destroyed in Rome’s transfer him to the ‘Pozzetto’ as they feared his gaze, by after his arrest for possible Piazza della Minerva. However, cell, located in the central part which they might be hypnotised participation in the ‘Affair of Cagliostro publicly renounced of the keep, which he considered and induced into freeing the Diamond Necklace’, a plot the principles of his professed even safer and stronger than him. Occasionally, they would that defamed Queen Marie doctrine, and was pardoned by the Treasury. (‘Pozzetto’ means descend into the cell to carry Antoinette and paved the way Pius VI, who commuted the a ‘manhole’ or ‘shaft’ to a out periodical inspections of the for the French revolution, 3 sentence to life imprisonment sewer, which gives some idea room and prisoner. that it was established he was in the fortress at San Leo, from of the conditions). Cagliostro’s Although many other born Giuseppe Balsamo in which it was considered to be imprisonment lasted more prisoners were housed in the Palermo, Sicily, in 1743. He impossible to escape. than four years, and documents ‘Pozzetto’ over the years, it is not was the son of poor parents, I had been completely concerning his treatment, based surprising that it is commonly but his grandfather and uncles unaware of the connection on humanitarian principles, are referred to as ‘Cagliostro’s ensured that he received a solid between Cagliostro and San Leo, preserved in the Pesaro State Cell’. And it was on 26 August education. After a series of but taking it as an example of Archive. 1795, now seriously ill, that he minor crimes, he escaped from fortean serendipity, explored The ‘Pozzetto’ was of died due to a stroke. The death Sicily and travelled through a the history and specific locations narrow dimensions, being certificate is preserved in the range of countries around the involved. Initially, Cagliostro only three metres square. The parish archive of San Leo and Mediterranean and Middle was housed in the Treasury only exterior opening was was written in Latin by the East, making a living by various vault, the bleakest part of the a small window, fitted with Archpriest Luigi Marini: (and often nefarious) means. entire fortress, varying between three rows of gratings, which Giuseppe Balsamo, nicknamed He married Lorenza Seraphina extremes of cold and damp overlooked the parish church Count of Cagliostro, of Palermo, Feliciani in 1768 and assumed and hot and humid. It took its and cathedral – Cagliostro’s only baptised but incredulous, heretic, the title of count, before name from the tradition that it view of the outside world. There famous for his bad name, after travelling to London and then was where the Dukes of Urbino was also a small slit window having spread the emphatic on to the major European cities, doctrine of Egyptian Freemasonry selling elixirs of youth and love to various European countries, powders. His reputation as an to which he gained an infinite alchemist and healer gained him number of followers with subtle access to the most important deceptions, he ran into various courts, where he befriended vicissitudes, which he did not prominent personalities such as escape without damage, by virtue Schiller and Goethe. His séances of his cunning and skill; finally by were the rage of fashionable sentence of the Holy Inquisition society in Paris by 1785, when relegated to perpetual prison in he became embroiled in the the fortress of this city, with the ‘Affair’. This resulted in nine hope that he repented, having months in the Bastille prison, endured with the same firmness banishment from France and a and obstinacy the hardships of return to England. the prison for four years, four But it was involvement in months, five days, caught by a Masonic circles that was key sudden stroke , of a perfidious to his ultimate demise. In 1776 mind and a wicked heart such ‘Joseph Cagliostro’ was admitted as he was, not having given the as a Freemason of the Esperance least sign of repentance, he died Lodge No 289 in Gerrard Street, without mourning, outside the Soho, London. He then took the Communion of Saint M. Church, Rite of Misraïm, which was filled at the age of fifty-two, two with alchemical, occult and months and eighteen days. Born Egyptian references. Between unhappy, the more unhappy he 1767 and 1775 he received lived, very unhappy he died on the Arcana Arcanorum, which 26 August of the aforementioned are three very high hermetic year at approximately 22.45. degrees, from the brother of On this occasion a public prayer the national Grand Master of was called, if ever the merciful Neapolitan Masonry and in 1788 God turned his gaze to the introduced them into the Rite of work of his hands. As a heretic, Misraïm. 4 By founding a Lodge excommunicated, an impenitent dedicated to Egyptian Rites and BELOW: Cagliostro holds one of his magical séances for the fashionable sinner, he is denied burial assuming the title of ‘Gran Cofto citizens of pre-revolutionary Paris. according to the ecclesiastical rite.

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396 TRAVELLER v3.indd 75 30/07/2020 17:20 PHOTOS: ROB GANDY PHOTOS:

ABOVE LEFT: The wooden bed in the “Pozzetto”, the small cell in which Cagliostro spent his final years.ABOVE RIGHT: The small internal window looking down into the cell; guards could observe their prisoner while avoiding his ‘hypnotic’ gaze. BELOW: Rob (left), wife Margaret and friends Alberto and Pietro with San Leo Fortress behind.

The corpse is buried right on the to have found so much of extreme point of the mountain fortean interest. If you fancy that looks to the west, almost at visiting San Leo and San the same distance between the Marino then the nearest main two forts… commonly called the airport is Bologna, whence you Palazzetto and the Casino, on the can get buses or hire a car (if ground of the Reverend Camera you like driving around hairpin Apostolica on the 28th at 18.15. bends). If you are feeling It is not possible to access the particularly energetic and have Treasury vault, which is down the right kind of bike, then why some steep steps, but you can not take the Visita a Cagliostro look inside through the gate bicycle route? 6 Or perhaps and see that it would not be just a part of it, as the whole a pleasant place in which to itinerary is a 65 mile (105km) be incarcerated. (It appeared round trip. It sets out from that people had tossed money Rimini towards San Salvatore in through the gate on to the and Ospedaletto, climbing up floor for some reason). When I to Faetano, Montegiardino and walked around the ‘Pozzetto’ Fiorentino (at 1,900ft/580m) cell there was only a simple including a large barrel placed before sweeping down to wooden bed, with a few flowers It was easy to over people who had been found Castello di Montemaggio on it. The light from the window guilty of drunkenness and from (800ft/244m) and climbing back was good, but it was easy to imagine how which only the head and feet up to San Leo. This is not for the imagine how dark, cold and protruded; this acted as a form faint-hearted. claustrophobic it would be at claustrophobic of stocks, as the occupant was night, particularly in winter. pelted with vegetables as he ran NOTES You might be wondering how it would be around trying to avoid them. 1 www.complex.com/ I managed to get into the cell: There might be an element of sports/2014/10/9-reasons-why-san- was I lowered down by a rope, or the macabre in several of the marino-worst-football-team-all-time/ is there now a ladder from the exhibits, but San Leo knows 1 www.thetorturemuseum.it/; www. museodellecerersm.com/; www. guardhouse? Neither: there is a There are stunning views in all how to have a good time, museodellecuriosita.sm/; www. doorway to the cell, but this was directions, and if you look over holding seasons of events and museodeivampiri.com/ th created in the 19 century, long the side in some places there is various festivals, which bring in 3 http://en.chateauversailles.fr/ after Cagliostro’s death. a sheer drop. While people like locals and tourists alike. discover/history/key-dates/affair- Interestingly, the fortress me will make a beeline for the But they never forget old diamond-necklace-1784-1785 appears to be important to Cagliostro-related areas, there Cagliostro, and hold the 4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ the Italian Masonic lodges, is much else to see, including AlchimiAlchimie each year Rite_ofcagliostro.html presumably because of the exhibits on the history of the in late August where they 5 http://www.san-leo.it/events/san- Cagliostro connection. In one fortress, guns and weapons, and celebrate him with an array leo/2019/alchimialchimie-2019. part of the museum there were a ‘celle di punizione’ or torture of performance and other html exhibits of Masonic aprons and dungeon, which includes some events which culminate in a 6 https://www.terrabici.com/routes/ other items, and there were pretty horrible ways to inflict magnificent fireworks display cagliostro-visit-san-leo many photos of high-ranking pain – racks, wheels, gibbets, from the fortress. 5 2 ROB GANDY is a visiting Masonic personnel. and lots of sharp things. To professor at the Liverpool Admission to the fortress complement the dungeon VISITING THE REGION Business School, John Moores and museum is only six euros, there is an upstairs exhibition We really enjoyed our trip to University and a regular and represents excellent value. of other forms of punishment, the fortress, and I was pleased contributor to FT.

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