Haunted Sicily

MY BOOKS:
www.lulu.com/spotlight/httpswwwlulucomspotlightjazmapika1

MY BIO:
jazmaonline.boards.net/thread/2495/paul-dale-roberts-biography-revised

MY MINI-BIO:
jazmaonline.boards.net/thread/3009/new-bio

My ex-brother-in-law Mike McDaniels worked as a maritime archaeologist. As a Certified Scuba Diver, he explored the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, Ligurian Sea and Mediterranean Sea, with stopovers at Egadi, Lipari, Corsica, Sardinia, Pelagie and the Panteleria Islands. Mike tells me that this was the most adventurous time in his life. He lived with my sister on Santorini Island for 5 years. Of course, I had to ask Mike about any haunted locations that he may have visited during his extensive archaeology project in and around Sicily. Mike said on one nighttime outing, they saw strange lights flying around erratically off the coast of Tunisia. The strange lights were rectangular. There were 3 objects at first flying in formation, then they darted around as they were looking for something. One of the objects dived into the ocean. There were no waves created from the submersion. The objects would flash yellow, then to blue. The sighting lasted for 5 or 7 minutes. The year 1988.

Mike also mentions that he visited the Castle of Caccamo and the Castle of Mussomeli in Sicily. Both places are very haunted. I did my own research on some of the haunted places in Sicily and here is my list:

Castle of Caccamo:
This castle is located near Palermo. The castle is haunted by the ghost of Matteo Bonello. Matteo was a Norman noble who was imprisoned, tortured and killed there. Visitors have reported Matteo’s ghost. Matteo’s ghost seems like he is in agony. He has no eyes. During the time he was tortured, the guards actually cut out his eyes! Visitors have heard screaming that at times seems like it’s coming out from everywhere in the castle. Mike said he felt sadness while walking inside the castle. Mike says the castle is beautiful and has a very dark history. The beauty of the castle is overshadowed by the negative forces within the interior of the castle.

Castle of Carini:
This castle is famous for the tragic story of Laura Lanza, the Baroness of Carini, who was murdered by her father in 1563. Legend has it that her bloody handprint appears on the wall of the room where she was killed every year on the anniversary of her death. Alessio Lombardi, former caretaker of the castle saw the spirit of the Baroness gliding around in one of the rooms. The sighting only lasted for a few seconds. Other times Alessio would hear strange gurgling sounds, as if someone is dying.

Villa Caboto: Near Mondello beach, this villa has several ghost stories associated with it. One tale suggests it was a brothel where American soldiers killed some women and German soldiers. Another story involves a girl killed by her father after being seen with a soldier. A local named Giuseppe Conti has heard disembodied screaming and yelling coming from the villa.

Teatro Massimo:
In Palermo, this opera house is said to be haunted by the ghost of a nun whose tomb was desecrated during its construction. She is believed to appear backstage. Dante Gallo claims that she saw the ghostly nun in a mirror and the nun was standing behind her. Another time Dante went to grab her make-up kit, and a ghostly hand grabbed her right hand.

Castle of Mussomeli:
This castle is known for the tragic story of Federico and his three sisters. During some turbulent times at the castle, Federico and his 3 sisters were locked in a room for safety. They were forgotten about and when they unlocked the room, Federico and his 3 sisters were dead from starvation. To this day, Federico and his 3 sisters haunt this castle. When Mike visited this castle, he claims he saw a darting figure go from one room to another room. Mike says he may have seen a ghost, but not sure if what he saw was real, or just his active imagination.

Abbey of Thelema in Cefalù:
Used by Aleister Crowley as a temple and spiritual center from 1920-1923, this place is rumored to be haunted by dark forces. Beatrice Russo and Lucia Bruno who were on vacation went by the Abbey, and both ladies had their hair pulled. Beatrice says it was not a gentle tug, it was a hard yank. Lucia believes it was a demonic force that yanked their hair. After the yanking, both ladies ran away from the Abbey as fast as they could.