Amandola's love story

B&B Marche               Amandola
B&B Marche Amandola

It is said that in ancient Greece, the Spartan King Lycurgus had a daughter, Phyllis, who married the handsome Demophon.

 

Unfortunately, the young man had to join the army because the war with Troy had broken out. Time passed slowly and when the war was over Phyllis waited impatiently for her husband to come back to her, but he didn't turn up.  One day rumours were spread that Demophon would never come back to his wife as he had fallen in love with another woman.  Phyllis, crazy and sick with jealousy, left Greece in desperation.

 

When she reached the Sibillini Mountains, she killed herself in a place called Castel Leone (today's Piazza Alta in Amandola). As soon as she fell to the ground her body changed into a big, beautiful almond tree which had strong roots and branches but no leaves.

 

In the meantime, Demophon had arrived back in Sparta and had been told about Phyllis' desperate departure.  He decided to look for her.  He set sail across the Adriatic Sea and arrived at Castel Leone where he was given the sad news of Phyllis' death.  He could do nothing but embrace the trunk of the almond tree and, then the miracle ocurred, thousands of buds blossomed on the branches that had been bare.

 

Amandola gets it's name from that ancient almond tree, "La Mandola", which grew on the hillside of Castel Leone.

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