Among the secrets of Varenna
A small pearl set on the Lecco coast, Varenna clings to the mountains of Lake Como, as if not wanting to dive into the waters of the lake. Among the houses of one of its hamlets, a mysterious, almost magical river is hidden: the Fiumelatte.
It is certainly not a secret around here. The river is a real institution, famous and recognized since the time of Leonardo Da Vinci in his Codex Atlanticus.
Travelling into a lake landscape and the mysteries of Fiumelatte tells of its impetuous waters and enigmatic intermittence; its origin still remains unexplained, despite the fact that legends, stories and tales have tried to interpret its charm.
The legend
Once upon a time there was a splendid girl, as beautiful as desired, who promised her heart to whoever, among the numerous suitors, managed to discover the origin of the Fiumelatte. Three young men, driven by the girl’s promise, ventured inside the cave from which the torrent gushes forth.
However, things did not go as expected and the young suitors came out after a few days, prematurely aged and visibly worn out: eyes wide open, hair white and mouth twisted in a grimace of terror, as if they had looked into the eyes of the devil himself.
One said that he had met a mermaid and had been in a place that looked like heaven, but which suddenly had turned into an endless cave. The second also said that he had wandered among magnificence, wonders, splendid maidens and sweet melodies, but suddenly he too had found himself in a narrow cave with scary nocturnal creatures. The third remained silent and paralyzed by who knows what vision and never wanted to speak of the cave again.
No one knew what had really happened inside the cave. Three days after their return, the young men died without regaining their senses, thus failing to unravel the mystery surrounding the origin of Fiumelatte.
Sources:
www.quicomo.it
www.ciaocomo.it
siviaggia.it