The Night of the Witches

The Night of the Witches, known as “ru rite de’ re sette sporte,” is the theatrical reenactment of an ancient ritual that took place until the 1950s exclusively in the municipality of Castel del Monte, a small fortified village on the slopes of the Gran Sasso d’Italia. This ritual served to exorcise the fear of witches who were believed to attack newborns and “suck” the life out of them. Based on this ancient belief, a traveling theatrical performance was created in 1996. It is held every year on August 16 and 17, during the early evening, within the medieval village of Castel del Monte (featuring various attractions).