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Talamone
THE LEGENDS
IIn an area like the Maremma it is easy to hear about singular and charming legends.
The legend of “Telamone”
The legend tells that Telamone died in the area while returning from the “Colchide”
where he had conquered, together with the mythical Greek heroes the Argonauts, the
Vello d’Oro” (Golden Fleese). The hill on which Talamone stands today it is thought
to be the burial mound built by his fellow companions.
The Leggend of “Bella Marsiglia”
MShe was very beautiful sixteen years old red haires girl calles Margherita and
was a descendant of the Marsili family of Siena. In 1543 she was kidnapped on the
beach of “Cala di Forno” by the pirate Barbarossa, who also killed her entire family.
He sold her as a slave to Solimano II who was the Sultan of the Turkish. Aware of
her charm Margherita soon became the “favourite” of the sultan who, enchanted by
her long thick red hair, became submissive to her like a child. In 1566 she was
able to put on the throne of Constantinople her son Selim II, also known for leading
the Muslim chips in the Battle of Lepanto of 1571. Still
Margherita, also called
“La Rossa” (the red), never manages to see again the tower of Cala di Forno, or
the grenn hills and the rocks of l’Uccellina. Nowadays it is said that at sundown
it seams that a long thick red hair embraces the tower and that sea becomes as purple
as the girl’s eyes.
(From the book by Fenenna Bartolomei: Leggende Marremmane, Grosseto, 1966)
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