Triora
A hill town in Liguria where trials for witchcraft began in 1587, and which now recalls the accused with a museum.
Practised and told of here
Best time: May to October.
Triora stands high above the Argentina valley. After years of poor harvests and a famine, townspeople accused local women of causing the bad weather. Between 1587 and about 1589 more than two hundred people were questioned, many under torture, and several died in custody. The Inquisition and Genoese authorities later stepped in.
The trials
The accused were mostly women, and several were of the town's families. Records show that some were tortured to confess, and that the Genoese Republic intervened when the prosecution grew out of control. Historians take the case as an example of a witch-hunt grounded in famine, fear and local rivalry.
Remembering
Triora's Ethnographic and Witchcraft Museum describes the trials and local folk beliefs, with a mixture of history and tourist presentation. A legend that the town was the 'Salem of Italy' is a modern marketing line and not a scholarly claim.
Visiting
The town is small and steep. A walk through the lanes takes an hour or two.
A respectful visit to Triora
Living communities are not a show. Ask before photographing a person or a ceremony, and follow local rules.
- Museum Read the history of the trials and the local material.
- The lanes of the old town Walk up through the narrow streets.
- The church of the Collegiata Look at the church that was central to the town.
Written by the EveryJaadu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Triora" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and ceremonies change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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