ABSTRACT

Renowned for being the ‘Salem of Europe’, Triora in the Province of Imperia, Liguria, is the site of the last witchcraft trial in Italy. In 1588, the steep medieval fortress town experienced severe famine, which resulted in the conviction of a group of local women for practices of witchcraft. The accusations of demonic misdemeanour were fuelled by a series of night-time meetings, held at a ramshackle building on the perimeter of the village, now known as the Cabotina.

Despite the gruesome nature of its past, with many of the villages witchcraft convictions resulting in burning, Triora has embraced its macabre connotations. Each year the village celebrates an annual witchcraft festival, known as the Strigora, during which the town becomes a mecca for witch enthusiasts worldwide, its narrow streets teeming with traditional and contemporary depictions of bewitchment. The impact of the festival has permanently altered the context of the village as a small agricultural town. Since the initiation of Strigora, it has been transformed into a jewel box of souvenir shops brimming with witchcraft ephemera, as well as several permanent public artworks depicting various formulations of ‘the hag’.

In addition, the village has become famous for hosting other curious festivals throughout the year, including a festival of mushrooms and snails, alongside the more familiar celebration of Halloween.

This chapter responds to the theme ‘City Festivals in History’ exploring the juxtaposition between the macabre event of historical witch burning and its contemporary representation in the festival of Strigora as lighthearted, based on the mixed iconography of woman as witch. This will include a discussion of the power re-enactment and oral narratives have in generating areas of alternative cultural significance.