The Italian Dolomites: Local Flavor, Spellbinding Witches and Thrilling Thunder

One of the special perks of touring with an experienced guide is the introduction to local people who are more than happy to share their grappa or limoncello as well as the more secret and intimate treasures of their home region.

Which Witch?

Petra was one such gem that our guide Gary Scott arranged for us to meet and she joined us for dinner in Castelrotto, her hometown.  She sat next to me at dinner and I warmed to her immediately.  True to the region, she is fluent in German, Italian and English (and perhaps more languages).  She and I shared our meals, laughter, and she shared with us, in a wonderfully coy way, that she was considered a witch, of sorts.

Me and Petra, the Good Witch

In the history of this particular town and the Dolomites crags surrounding it, there is a somewhat sordid history of the fears and superstitions pertaining to a belief in the existence of witches.  Any non-conformist was a target of scrutiny and mistrust.  Someone of Petra’s social position – an independent woman who remains unmarried and with no children – could easily fall suspect of witchcraft and of brewing the fierce storms that gathered over the peaks.

“He looks alive to me”

I loved when she insisted she is not a witch, of course…but that witches rarely tell the truth.  Later, as I was giving serious (and excited) consideration to the prospect of paragliding, I asked her what she thought about me going up with Marco – another local we met that night – and his paragliding company.  She said playfully, “He looks alive to me”.  (I went paragliding the next day with his cohort, Ruben 😉 )

Ruben, my Paragliding Guide - "He looks alive to me"

After dinner as we sipped wine and shared delectable desserts, Petra suggested an evening walk to the cemetery (trust me, it was beautiful) and to an old church on a low hill behind the hotel.

As we strolled in the fading light, she offered detailed explanations of the blending of the cultures of local people that make up the Alto Adige / Sudtirol (South Tyrol).
The majority of people in this northern Italian region are of Austrian descent and speak German, about 25 percent speak primarily Italian and perhaps 5 percent speak Ladin (nope, not Latin) She also shared a very special treat in the form of a visit to 12 stations of the story of Christ.  It is said there is only one religion in the area and that is Catholic.  If you’re not Catholic, you don’t practice anything.

Petra's family plot..lovingly tended

She walked us to a surprisingly welcoming and lovely cemetery.  Rather than cold gray headstones I’ve come to expect, this resting place was more a lovingly tended garden of family plots laden with fresh, growing flowers and candles consistently lit every night, flickering in red votives that cast an unmistakably Italian glow over the scene.

Losing the Plot

Petra showed us her own family plot and explained that once her parents passed, her grandparents were removed from the location and the next generation laid to rest.  I daren’t ask what happens to the outgoing ancestors, but there was such a loving, comforting family ambiance about it all that I felt no qualms being in this place at night – a place usually reserved for scary films about naïve, unsuspecting teens about to be unpleasantly surprised…

Fireworks

After watching a dramatic lightening and thunderstorm – a nice substitute for the Independence Day fireworks I was missing back home – I was once again grateful for the extra treats that our guide had conjured for us.  Perhaps he has some warlock in him.

For more Dolomites exploring, read: Hiking Italy: Delving Into the Dolomites

and Italian Dolomites: Foxes, Fox Holes, Foot Paths, and Food