Area 51 in Garfagnana

Indeed, even Garfagnana has its Area 51! A land of magic and ancient legends since time immemorial, this region has seen, from 1970 onwards, a continuous succession of mysterious phenomena and unusual appearances. These have included an orange pyramid that was sighted for over an hour on top of Mount Palodina and an unidentified pentagonal object with eight coloured lights that appeared on the summit of Mount Gallicano. Eight people were apparently also seen positioning highly futuristic instruments in Pian di Lago… too much even for that period, whilst, in more recent times, a few black helicopters appeared out of the blue shedding light through the woods searching for no one knows what…

One of the best known phenomena dates back to 1987 when a hunter was on a shooting foray on Mount Palodina and came across a large green lizard, a squamous beast more than two meters high and with a reptile head. The poor man took to his heels in no time, but the news, reported by the national television, caused a real stir and the whole area became a kind of X-Files. Despite numerous investigations, no trace of the incident remained except for the hunter’s rifle that was found badly damaged and strangely bent.

Just two months after the appearance of the lizard, in the woods of Mount Gallicano, some residents saw, at close range, creatures approximately 60 centimetres tall busy picking something up from the ground: frightened by the sound of footsteps, the small figures apparently gathered in a circle hugging each other, and then disappeared tumbling down a slope towards the back of the woods. Although it may seem unrealistic, the presence of gnomes was witnessed by several people.

Reality, fantasy, or imagination? It is beyond our comprehension. In any case, Garfagnana is a magical land: folklore, mystery and legends are now an integral part of this somehow enchanted place.