Sotoportego dei Preti

Venice · Italy · Alley

The fisherman Orio pulled the mermaid Melusina from his net. The red brick heart in the passage is said to protect those who touch it together.

In a dark covered passage in Castello, a stone's throw from the church of San Giovanni in Bragora, a brick shaped like a heart is set into the wall. The legend behind it tells of the fisherman Orio, who one night hauled a mermaid up in his net. She said her name was Melusina. They talked night after night and agreed to marry, but she made him promise never to seek her out on a Saturday. Orio broke the promise and found a serpent on the shore: Melusina was under a spell, and only marriage could break it. Once wed she became a woman, and they had three children before she died. The house in the passage is pointed out as theirs, and those who lay a hand on the heart together with the one they love are said to have her protection.

FAQ

Where is Sotoportego dei Preti located?

Sotoportego dei Preti is in Venedig, Italy.

More haunted places in Venedig

Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.