3641 Pietrarubbia and il dito del Gigante

[LEFT]Heading in a southwesterly direction from Macerata Feltria towards Carpegna you will pass through some remarkable landscapes where you’ll find a village called Pietrarubbia (from the name Pietra Rubra – red stone).

This is where the Counts of Montefeltro once feuded among themselves, leading to divisions within the family. You will notice a rocky outcrop to the south with the remains of a castle (the most ancient of the Montefeltro), but head a little further west towards Carpegna and you will notice a strange shape that punctuates the skyline. At first, it looks like another fortification, but upon closer inspection you will see that this is a rather unusual rock formation, which is known as the Torrione di Pietrafagnana.

It is called the dito del Gigante (the giant’s finger) because it looks like a finger pointing up towards the sky. According to legend, this territory was once the home of a brutal and domineering giant. The Gods decided to eliminate the giant, but they fought with all their might to do so. In the end, growing ever frustrated by the continual fighting, they threw a bolt of lightning down to earth in a raging fit of anger. This caused the earth to open up and swallow the giant, who remaining undefeated, desperately attempted to free himself. This he couldn’t do, although he managed to free his finger. Local legend also has it that over time, the giant’s finger was transformed into stone, as we see it today.

Being constantly exposed to the elements, the wind and rain have apparently eroded parts of the Torrione thereby causing a howling noise, which again according to local tradition, is known as the lamento del Gigante. [/LEFT]

Il dito/the castle remains