Italian folklore is a treasure trove of mythical tales, superstitions, and legends that have endured for centuries. From the majestic Alps to the sun-drenched coasts, each region contributes unique stories that blend historical events, ancient beliefs, and fantastical elements.
So, it’s not surprising if Italian folklore involves even Enrosadira, Alpenglow. For those of you who are not familiar with it, Enrosadira it’s an optical phenomenon that appears as a reddish glow on some mountains during sunrise and sunset.
The legend
Many years ago on the Rosengarten Mountain Range lived King Laurin, the dwarf king. King Laurin had one great passion, precious objects.
One day he learned that the King of Adige was going to hold a big party to which he had invited all the nobles in the area except him.
Irritated, King Laurino decided to attend the party anyway but he decided to do so wearing his precious invisibility belt so no one would notice him.
Once he arrived at the party he was struck by the beauty of the King of the Adige’s daughter, Similde, and fell madly in love with her. So, taking advantage of his invisibility, he decided to kidnap her and take her with him to the Rosengarten Mountain.
He was so in love with the girl that, once he got there, he decided to cover the entire mountain with red roses.
The king of the Adige, however, was certainly not going to let this go, so he marched with his army to the Rosengarden to free his daughter and make King Laurino pay.
But King Laurino was not at all worried about it because he believed that if he continued to wear his belt, the army would never find him.
Unfortunately, he had not taken into account the blanket of roses that now covered the mountain. In fact, he did not notice that as he sneaked around, the roses swayed as he passed.
One of the soldiers noticed the oddity and, realizing the deception, managed to nab King Laurino and snatch his belt.
At that point King Laurino had no choice but to surrender and return Similde to her father. Before doing so, however, he put a curse on that rose garden, which he said had betrayed him: no human eye would ever again be able to admire it, either by day or by night. And so, the rose garden disappeared from view, leaving only rock.
However, King Laurin had not considered sunrise and sunset, straddling day and night. That is why we can still admire Enrosadira, the red rose garden that colors the peaks of the Dolomites.
What do you think about Italian folklore and this short story?
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Credits
Original image by alexvi82
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