Back in 1588, a young girl who had recently become sixteen, named Dorina, met a beautiful girl on the street, completely dressed in white, who passed her without saying a word; Dorina remained paralyzed as she contemplated her beauty. This very strange fact occurred again two more times, while she was returning home. The fourth time something different happened: the woman in white spoke to her.
"Say, little Dorina, wouldn't you like to become beautiful like me?".
Dorina was shocked, as the woman knew her name.
In those days, long trials for witchcraft were taking place in the city of Venice and the first thing that jumped into Dorina's mind was that the woman could be a witch. She finally introduced herself with the name of Laura and revealed to the sixteen year old her secret to obtain such beauty. Dorina, at night, would have to shut herself up in her room, cover all the furniture with white sheets and sprinkle her naked body with the liquid from an ampoule she provided. And so she would have done the young...
In the traditions and legends of sixteenth-century Venice, the "fade", that is the fairies, dressed in white, who appeared during the magical nights, were the spirits of women who died in childbirth. They mingled with the living in the form of sweet and beautiful maidens, but their true nature was betrayed by horrible twisted feet or goats. These were treacherous and dangerous beings, capable, however, of giving wealth and beauty. Superstitions, illusions, myths that have been placed on paper over time. Black ink on white sheets, fertile ground for the cultivation of these legends.
Venice, like many other cities in the Veneto region, is full of similar stories. Stories just waiting to be unmasked... What are we waiting for, then? Let's unveil the stories of the famous lagoon city together. What is defined as one of the most beautiful cities in the world has so much to offer.
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