As you make your way down to Gnejna Bay, you might come across a towering, bombastic structure known as Castello Zammitello.
Whilst this may look like your average 17th century house, Castello Zammitello is actually synonymous with a somewhat haunting legend and spooky history.
The house was built in 1675, back when Malta was under the rule of the Knights of St John, and is modelled after the iconic Tower of London.
The 300-year-old legend says that a young woman called Lucia, daughter of Baron Bernardo Zammit, was once sleeping in her chambers within the Castello the night before her wedding – a ceremony which would see her marry a rich and elderly Sicilian count.
However, it is said that that very night, the blushing bride mysteriously vanished into thin air.
The Baron thus led an extensive search as he believed that Lucia was abducted by pirates. His daughter never seen again – at least, not in human form…
Around a year after Lucia’s disappearance, the bells of the nearby local church started tolling unexpectedly. A vision of Lucia dressed in nun’s clothing then proceeded to appear out of nowhere.
In her spooky ghost form, she revealed that she ran away from the Castello to avoid marrying her prospective elderly husband. Instead, she became a hospitable nun who aided the wounded.
She went on to divulge that she was killed by an accidental stary arrow.
If that didn’t spook you out enough, you might want to know that Castello Zammitello once also served as a backdrop to a cold-blooded murder.
In 1988, Baron Francis Sant Cassia was shot at point blank in the house at the age of 68. The murder remained a mystery until earlier this year, when his shooter was finally arrested and charged in court.
The shooter, however, was hired for a sum of money by a secondary party. The motive is still a mystery as investigations are still ongoing.
Today the eerie and sinister castle is used by many couples as a wedding venue.
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