Table of Contents
The Castle of Castellammare di Stabia is an ancient manor in use between the 10th and 18th centuries. After that period, the structure remained abandoned for a long time before undergoing a major restoration in the 1930s. Today it is a private property and is mainly used as a location for meetings and receptions.
Around this castle, however, revolve many legends, including that of the so-called Red Checkers, a beautiful and mysterious woman whose story is little known but is among the most enigmatic and evocative tales of Campania.
With a tangle of intrigue, wars and poignant love affairs, that of the Red Lady is an affair rooted in medieval-era Castellammare.
The Legend of the Red Lady
Castrum Maris de Surrento is the archaic name for the Castle of Castellammare di Stabia, which stands at the foot of Mount Faito, just 100 meters above sea level. It is speculated that the residence was built in 1086 at the behest of the Duke of Sorrento.
You might be interested
The tragic story of the Red Lady would take place during the reign of Ferrante I of Aragon, in October 1459. In those years the political order of the Kingdom of Naples was rapidly changing as the arrival of the Aragonese had marked a clear transformation in the local ruling class that was supplanting the barons in the management of local fiefdoms.
Backed by the Papacy and the d'Anjou, the fiefdoms were ready to take back what was theirs through what has gone down in history as the Conjuring of the Barons. In that month of October, the air was still quite warm and the wife of Gaillard, lord of the castle, anxiously awaited the arrival of her lover.
The woman waited anxiously, scanning the horizon for a signal. The atmosphere was tense because of the bloody battle just around the corner. Nevertheless, the only thing that mattered to the beautiful and elegant lady was the promise of love made by a soldier from the enemy army, already attached to another woman and ready to conquer the Castle of Castellammare di Stabia To deliver it to the d'Anjou.
That night her lover arrived at the castle with his own army to storm the mansion. The castellan herself opened a passage in the walls, forever sealing her fate. The surrender of the Aragonese was swift, and master Gaillard was left with nothing to do but surrender the fortress without resistance.
The woman painfully discovered the deception suffered by her beloved and was pitied by the other castellans for her betrayal. Overcome with guilt and deep sadness, the lady of the castle took her own life by poisoning herself in her bedroom.
That nefarious evening he wore a long red dress, which she allegedly wore for eternity as she wandered the halls of Castellammare di Stabia Castle. Since then, the alleged ghost has been renamed Red Lady and would seem to have haunted especially the room in which she killed herself, known as the Chamber of Angels.
Apparitions of the Red Lady
It seems that the unfortunate woman of cruel fate has a habit of frightening the guests of the Castle of Castellammare di Stabia with screams, moans, disturbing noises, laughter and hysterical crying. For some it is still possible today to hear her at night as she wails and to those who approach the Room of Angels the lady of the castle reserves far worse treatment.
Indeed, in this room, his presence becomes stronger, so much so that there is an unpleasant feeling of discomfort and uneasiness. People who tell of spotting her describe her as a very beautiful middle-aged woman, dressed in a red dress with long black hair falling over her shoulders.
According to legend, however, it is mainly male people who are targeted by his jokes as a form of revenge for the wrong suffered. In some cases the ghost merely makes unusual noises, but in others it tries to push the unfortunate person down the stairs.
0 Comments