Roman mistery tour step #2 Emperor Nero's grave

Let's talk about the tomb of Emperor Nero.

You all know about his madness (even though Nero was not as crazy as the historians wrote)  and he died suicidal.

His nurses decided to bury him at the Colle degli Ortuli, next to Piazza del Popolo, and planted a walnut tree on his grave.

Legends tell that a horde of demons chose this place for their usual gathering. 

During the course of the years even the Roman witches decided to organize their sabbaths in this place. The tree grew too quickly, compared to the natural course of the plant, and people began to think that it was the spells of demons and witches fault.

Pope Paquale II intervened to interrupt these meetings. He dreamed the Madonna, she told  he had to disperse Nero's ashes in the river Tiber, cut the tree and build a church over the grave.

The altar of the church of Santa Maria del Popolo stands where the tomb and the tree were.

Even today, the demonic apparitions continue ... .so people whisper.

Santa Maria del Popolo

Altare di Santa Maria del Popolo - Photo by S Maria del Popolo Website