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Carlina, the Italian ghost in the Milan Cathedral

Last Modified: November 3, 2021

Il Duomo di Milano è piuttosto famoso ma quanti di voi sanno che c’è un fantasma che lo infesta?

The Cathedral of Milan is quite famous but how many of you know that there’s a ghost haunting it?

E’ una delle tante leggende milanesi e parla del fantasma di Carlina.

This is one of the many legends of Milan and is about the ghost of Carlina.

Si dice che il fantasma di Carlina faccia la sua apparizione durante i matrimoni. Sì, i matrimoni! Quindi, siate preparati nel caso decidiate di dire “si” nel Duomo di Milano!

It’s said that Carlina’s ghost makes its appearance during weddings. Yes, weddings! So be prepared in case you decide to say “yes” in the Milan Cathedral!

La storia di Carlina – Carlina’s story

Carlina era una giovane donna che viveva a Schignano, un piccolo paese vicino a Como, e che voleva sposare il suo fidanzato Renzino.

Carlina was a young woman who lived in Schignano, a small town near Como, and that wanted to marry her fiancé Renzino.

A quel tempo, c’era la tradizione dello jus primae noctis, secondo la quale, i lord feudali avevano il diritto di avere relazioni sessuali con le proprie dipendenti nella prima notte di nozze delle povere donne.

At that time, there was the tradition of jus primae noctis, according to which, feudal lords had the right to have sexual relations with subordinate women on the wedding night of the poor ladies.

Perciò, per evitare lo jus primae noctis, Carlina decise di indossare un vestito nero per il suo matrimonio (nella cultura italiana, il nero è il colore che le persone indossano quando partecipano a un funerale).

So, to avoid experiencing jus primae noctis, Carlina decided to wear a black dress for her wedding (in Italian culture, black is the color people wear when attending funerals).

Dopo il matrimonio, decisero di passare la loro luna di miele a Milano. Quando arrivarono in città, era una giornata nebbiosa e molto fredda. Ciò nonostante, Carlina voleva visitare il famoso Duomo. E quindi, lo visitarono.

After the wedding, they decided to spend their honeymoon in Milan. When they arrived in the city, it was a very cold and foggy day. This notwithstanding, Carlina wanted to visit the famous Cathedral. So, they did it.

Quando raggiunsero la cima, Carlina era molto affascinata dalle statue, ma alcune di esse la turbavano.

By the time they reached the top, Carlina was very fascinated by the statues, ma some of them upset her.

Però, le statue non erano l’unica cosa che turbava Carlina. Infatti, poche settimane prima del matrimonio, ebbe una tresca con un giovane straniero biondo e rimase incinta.

However, the statues weren’t the only thing that upset Carlina. Indeed, a few weeks before her wedding, she had an affair with a young blond foreigner and became pregnant with him.

Ovviamente, non disse niente al marito perché sperava di fargli credere che il figlio che portava in grembo fosse suo.

Of course, she didn’t say anything to her husband because she was hoping to make him believe that it was his son she was pregnant with.

Però, mentre era in cima al Duomo di Milano, circondata da tutte quelle statue e quei simboli, il senso di colpa iniziò a tormentarla.

However, while she was on the top of the Milan Cathedral, surrounded by all those statues and symbols, guilt started to torment her.

Sopraffatta dal rimorso, iniziò a correre e scomparve tra le guglie. Il marito la cercò per molto tempo ma non riuscì mai a trovarla.

Overwhelmed by remorse, she started to run and disappeared among the spiers. Her husband searched for her for a very long time but he never found her.

Carlina scomparve per sempre quel giorno. Il suo corpo non fu mai ritrovato.

Carlina disappeared that day forever. Her body was never found.

La leggenda dice che il suo fantasma appaia durante i matrimoni, vestito con un abito nero, augurando alle nuove coppie un felice matrimonio.

The legend says that her ghost appears during weddings, dressed in black, wishing new couples a happy marriage.


Credits

Original image by joecrupier

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