Still raining! Supposed to rain for several more days. At least the rain usually falls gently and my umbrella works, va bene. I thought I would take a hike up a street called Via Castellino da Castello, where there is all sorts of history that just drips from the buildings. My journey started out from the local Piazza Garibaldi and headed up hill. The streets were wet and empty, so I could take my time climbing the narrow alley to the top.
One of the first antiquities that greeted me is the family house of a famous (at least here) Jesuit priest named Gabriel Malagrida. He was born in Menaggio in 1689. As a young man he joined the Jesuits and left for Brazil, where he worked for 28 years. Upon his return to Portugal in 1749, Gabriel received a hero's welcome. Everything soured for the poor man, who was thrown in prison for treason with the charge of treason. During his time in jail Gabriel started writing about Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary. He apparently had a very unhealthy fixation on Saint Anne's uterus and was then found guilty of obscenity and blasphemy. He as put to death in 1761 by strangulation in Rossio square, Lisbon, Portugal. His corpse was burned after and the ashes were scattered in the Tagus River.
The houses that lined the Via Castellino da Castello were all old, like Padre Malagrida's. The walk was steep, and it was hard to get really good shots because of the lack of sunlight. Besides the rain, the walls are high on this road and the street narrow. My next stop near the top will be a 16 century church.
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