The Man in the Funicular

As we were descending from Brunate to Como by cable car, the panoramic view was spectacular. We could see the lake below and the surrounding hills.

The man sitting next to us on the funicular, having heard me speaking Italian to my daughter, assumed that I was local.

Pointing his finger at a tall building standing on an outcrop, not far from a radio mast, he asked me if I knew what it was.

Although I had seen it before, I had never wondered about its purpose. I just assumed it was a church or the ruins of an old castle. I admitted my ignorance and explained I was a tourist, like him.

His query, though, aroused my curiosity and I decided to get myself genned up. I found out it was called the Barbarossa Tower.

In Italian barba rossa means red beard and one owner of such a facial feature was a German chap named Frederick who, unlike his fictional counterpart Bluebeard, did not kill his wives.

What he did instead was attempting, and succeeding after six incursions, to conquer Italy. He became the king of that country and the Holy Roman Emperor in the 12th century.

The tower that bears his name is reputed to have been his abode during his military campaign.

Now that I am in possession of this information, I'm ready to satisfy the curiosity of the next enquiring tourist..

© Luigi Pagano 2023