The Cimitero Monumentale
Milan’s Monumental Cemetery is a veritable open-air museum. Inaugurated on 2 November 1866, it was designed by architect Carlo Maciachini. This place is not just a cemetery, but a journey through history and art, with tombs and monuments telling fascinating and sometimes disturbing stories.
bSan Bernardino alle Ossa: the church of skulls
In Milan, a short distance from Piazza Duomo, stands San Bernardino alle Ossa, a church that will leave you speechless. This place is famous for its walls entirely covered in human bones, creating a unique and eerie atmosphere. If you are a fan of the macabre, this is the place for you.
The Veiled Lady of Sempione Park
Milan is not only fashion and culture, it also harbours chilling urban legends. One of the most famous is that of the Veiled Lady, a ghost said to haunt Parco Sempione since the late 19th century. The legend tells of a beautiful woman, covered by a long black veil, who appears on cold foggy nights. Her perfume of violets attracts unwary young men, who are led to a mysterious palace on the edge of the park. Here, the Veiled Lady reveals her true face: a macabre skull.
Parco Sempione, located behind the Castello Sforzesco, is where these disturbing sightings take place. Many claim to have seen the Veiled Lady on the corner of Via Paleocapa. Some say they managed to escape, but never found the mysterious building again. Others, however, went mad after the encounter. The legend lives on, fuelled by the tales of those who swear they have seen the ghost.
The palace to which the Veiled Lady leads her victims is shrouded in mystery. No one knows exactly where it is, and those who managed to escape have never been able to find it. This building, hidden among the trees in the park, has become part of the legend. Some believe that the palace only appears to those destined to meet the Veiled Lady, making the story even more fascinating and frightening.
The Devil’s Column: mysteries and legends
Right in front of the Church of Sant’Ambrogio is a monument known as the ‘Devil’s Column’. According to legend, Saint Ambrose had a confrontation with the devil himself. During the fight, the saint hurled the devil against the column, leaving two holes that can still be seen today. It is said that in winter the smell of sulphur escapes from these holes, an ominous sign of the presence of the evil one.
The holes and the smell of sulphur
The two holes on the column are the result of the devil’s horns getting stuck during the fight with Saint Ambrose. Tradition has it that sticking one’s fingers into these holes purifies one from any evil eye and curses. Moreover, on certain cold days, a faint smell of sulphur can be perceived coming from the holes, making the atmosphere even more mysterious.
Mysterious symbols in the church
Inside the Basilica of St Ambrose, one can find other enigmatic symbols. For example, there are two columns, one with a cross and the other with a bronze serpent, the symbol of Knowledge. This serpent is said to have been forged by Moses. These details add a further layer of mystery to a place already laden with legends and disturbing stories.
Villa Triste: the dark side of the Resistance
Villa Fossati, today known as Villa Triste, is located on Via Paolo Uccello. During the Republic of Salò, this villa was turned into a place of torture and ill-treatment by the Koch gang, a special department of the republican police. The prisoners’ screams of pain echoed down the street, making the atmosphere even more chilling.
Torture in the dungeon
In the dungeons of Villa Triste, partisans and anti-fascists were subjected to unspeakable torture. The Koch gang, led by Pietro Koch, used brutal methods to extort information and punish those who opposed the regime. This place became one of the most macabre symbols of the resistance in Milan.
The fate of the villa after the war
After the end of the war, the Fossati family decided to stop living in the villa and donated it to the Immaculate Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows. Today, Villa Triste is run by the nuns, but its dark history remains etched in the collective memory of the town.
Stretta Bagnera: the alley of terror
Who was Antonio Boggia
In the heart of Milan, hidden among the streets of the centre, lies Stretta Bagnera, the narrowest street in the city. This alley is infamous for being the scene of the crimes of Antonio Boggia, Italy’s first serial killer. Boggia, seemingly an ordinary man, hid a dark side that led him to commit brutal murders.
The murders and the modus operandi
In 1851, a man presented himself to the carabinieri claiming to have escaped an attempted murder by Boggia. This event led to the discovery of a series of murders. Boggia lured his victims into the cellar of his house in Via Bagnera, where he killed and walled them in. The bodies of four people were found hidden in the cellar, dismembered and walled up. His modus operandi was always the same: he would approach his victims, hit them with an axe and then hide them.
Today’s unsettling atmosphere
Today, walking through the Stretta Bagnera, one can still feel an eerie atmosphere. The walls seem to tell tales of terror and, despite the time that has passed, the alley retains an aura of mystery. If you are in Milan and want to feel a chill down your spine, a visit to this alley is a must. But beware, the walls might whisper scary stories!
The flat in Via San Gregorio 40: a family massacre
On 30 November 1946, in a flat at 40 Via San Gregorio, one of the most horrendous crimes in Milan’s history took place. A woman and her three children, aged 7, 5 years and a 10-month-old infant, were found brutally murdered with bars. The city, still shaken by the war, was shocked by this tragedy.
The investigation and the culprit
The investigation quickly led to the arrest of Caterina Fort, known as Rina. She was the lover of Pippo Ricciardi, the murdered woman’s husband and father of the three children. Rina worked as a saleswoman in Ricciardi’s shop and, according to the investigators, had acted out of jealousy and revenge. Two other small corpses, Ricciardi’s other children, were found in the flat. A massacre that left an indelible mark on the collective memory.
The macabre legacy of the flat
Today, the flat at 40 Via San Gregorio is still there, but the atmosphere surrounding it is charged with a palpable disquiet. Those who pass in front of that door cannot help but feel a chill down their spine, as if the walls themselves were a reminder of the terrible massacre that took place inside them. The history of this place lives on in urban tales and legends, keeping alive the memory of an event that Milan can never forget.