Like all the best castles, Castelbrando has its own legends and stories. These include the story of Ius Primae Noctis imposed by Count Brandlino Brandlini, the much-feared and undisputed feudal lord.
In brief, Ius Primae Noctis (which is itself shrouded in mystery) is the purported right of the feudal lord to take the place of the groom on the wedding night.
Indeed, it is said that the Count had the most beautiful newly married women in the county brought to lie with him in his chambers. And the story goes that one woman refused to give in to his demands so in his anger the lord cut off her head and threw it down the trap door, built in the bedroom for just such an eventuality. The head emerged from a hole in the mountain side and began to roll down the ridge, screaming its innocence. The cries were so lout that they resounded throughout the whole valley.
When you visit Castelbrando today be sure to listen out for more of the legends which inhabit every angle of this castle.
