Magical Bologna: Legends, Witches, and Tarot Under the Porticoes

Witches and Wizards of Bologna

Walking through the streets of Bologna, one can come across stories of women and men who devoted their lives to the occult arts.

Among those figures stands out Gentile Budrioli, who lived in the 15th century and is remembered as Bologna’s “greatest witch.” Astrologer, healer, and herbal-craft expert, she was highly regarded for her magical abilities and lived with her husband in the Torresotto di Porta Nuova, opposite the Basilica of San Francesco. Her knowledge made her an influential figure at the court of the Bentivoglio family, where she became one of the most trusted advisers. Precisely the combination of what was considered “occult” knowledge and political power drew suspicion and hostility: in 1498 she was tried for witchcraft by the Inquisition, which at the time had its seat in the Basilica of San Domenico.

One of the most astonishing stories of magical Bologna is also that of Vincenzo Casciarolo, a humble shoemaker from the 17th century who spent his nights conducting alchemy experiments. One day, on the slopes of Monte Paderno, he found a peculiar stone. By working it in embers, he discovered that — after calcination — it was able to absorb sunlight and glow in the dark. Casciarolo called it the “Spongia Lucis”, the sponge of light, convinced it was a magical stone that drank solar rays to slowly release them later.

In Bolognese popular tradition appear, finally, the Burde, mysterious water-witches connected to marshes and canals. Described by some — including the writer Gabriele D’Annunzio — as a “wind of pain” and a “wild scourge”, the Burde are depicted sometimes as beautiful women, sometimes as old crones who lured travellers into dilapidated huts. They are said to have controlled winds and storms, deciding the fate of sailors and travellers.

The Bolognese Tarot Cards

Did you know that Bologna has its own version of the Tarot? It is the Bolognese Tarocchino, a unique deck of cards also known as the “Trionfi”. In popular tradition, it is not just a card game: its cards can be used as a divinatory tool, to explore past, present, and future. According to traditional lore, this knowledge is passed on only during the “Night of Knowledge”, on 24 December, when the meaning of the cards is transmitted from one generation to the next. Some even use the Tarocchino cards for introspection through the so-called “Mirror Game”, a moment of meditation meant to observe oneself with a renewed gaze.

Today the Tarocchino is recognised as a De.Co. product, a Municipal Denomination, a title through which the Municipality of Bologna protects and promotes the city’s historical and local identities: a civic seal that safeguards this age-old tradition and consecrates it as a living part of Bologna’s cultural heritage.