Dark were the times the people of Piné lived through during the grim centuries of the Middle Ages.
The tyrant of La Mòt, who dwelled with his henchmen in the impregnable Castle Belvedere, oppressed the people of the plateau with torture and cruelty: he imposed absurd taxes, demanded the right of the first night whenever a maiden was about to marry, and imprisoned or threw into the deepest dungeons anyone who dared to defy his commands.
But even the cruellest tyranny must, at some point, reckon with the patience of the oppressed.
And so, one day, a brave group of Pinetani decided it was time to end the rule of the lord of La Mòt.
But how?
They had no weapons to storm the castle, no money to hire mercenaries to fight for them, and none among them was strong enough to face the tyrant in open combat.
After much thought and discussion, they devised a plan that, if successful, would return freedom to their people.
Everyone knew that every week, at the same hour, the lord of La Mòt would ride out alone to hunt in the forests of the plateau.
He felt safe — protected by his own cruelty — for no one would ever dare to harm him.
The conspirators, however, obtained a long scythe, sharpened its blade carefully, and hid near the stables in Valt, a perfect place for an ambush.
They didn’t have to wait long: the sound of hoofbeats echoed nearby — the tyrant was approaching.
They extended the scythe and… slash!
With one swift, precise strike, the head of the wicked man flew through the air, struck the trunk of an oak, and rolled into the meadow.
A cry of triumph rose from the stables of Valt: at last, the tyrant was dead!
Without their master, his soldiers would be easy prey for the band of rebels, and…
…but they hadn’t counted on the lord’s horse, which, though its rider was now headless, continued calmly to gallop back to the castle, thus raising the alarm.
The henchmen quickly realized what had happened, gathered their belongings, and fled far away, leaving the fortress unguarded.
Unable to take revenge on the tyrant’s men, the Pinetani turned their wrath on Castle Belvedere, destroying it so completely that today it can no longer be distinguished amid the tangled forest.
Yet, the elders say that on certain cloudy nights, just before a storm breaks, along the path that once led to the stables of Valt, one can glimpse a mysterious headless ghost, walking back and forth, holding his horse by the reins.
It is the restless spirit of the lord of La Mòt, forever searching for his lost head — without which he will never know peace for all eternity.
