That is the legend of the magician Greguro and his daughter Margheritella that, according to legend,  practiced  the magic at the time of the civilization that inhabited the canyons of Massafra. The home of the famous magician is identified with a cave where you can go only through a rope.In this cave you can see the cells in the wall where, people say, Greguro retained his magic potions . The legend tells that all men loved Margheritella and that all women envied her, thus she was accused of being a witch and was then sentenced to the stake as it was common for all  witches. But the village chief Anselm  managed to save her at the last moment and from that day Greguro wasn’t accepted any more by the villagers.

A legend, linked to the origins of the Carnival of Massafra, tells of a shepherd who couldn’t get away from the farm, where he was the guardian of a flock. For him there weren’t any holidays, no rest days. Once his master decided to send him home for  carnival. While he walked on his way home he met a man with a beard and long hair who warned him that the carnival was over but the pastor  wanted to come back anyway. The man told him that he would have seen his family and would have celebrated the carnival. When he came to town , the carnival was lengthened and the pastor was able to have fun. When he returned to work he had the memory of this wonderful carnival. According to the legend, the man was Jesus. 

The legend says that hunters saw two deer kneeling near a large boulder that had overthrown the painting of the Virgin. According to the legend, every year for the festival, two deer, a mother and daughter appeared. The mother died in the ravine while the daughter knelt before the image of the Virgin. The meat of the dead deer was cooked and eaten by the faithful people and the sick ones were healed miraculously. People continued to venerate the Madonna of the Scala.  

The legend of the greedy prince

   Once upon a time there was a prince who was very greedy and pretending to borrow  money.A Capuchin monk knew the situation and decided to go to the court of this prince, but worried about the brothers wanted to make a protection of iron.

Castle of Massafra

• In the castle of Massafra there was a servant who always heard of a cackling hen. One day he followed it. He came to a wall and breaking it he found a gaul and golden chicks. This gentleman sold the hen, and became a millionaire.

The legend of the golden hen and the twelve chicks

Work  by Maria Chiara

Noemi Lomonte Emanuela Palanga