Montagna Spaccata
The Legend of Split Mountain
"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split" Matthew 27:50-51, NKJV
Montagna Spaccata is in Gaeta, Italy - not far from Naples. A local legend, well - two really, revolve around Split Mountain. The first is that the mountain broke in three places at the time of Jesus' death. Some may doubt the validity of that legend, prefering natural phenomena to have been the cause, however even the most learned and respected geologists are perplexed by Split Mountain. One such is quoted saying, "Natural, physical, [and] geological laws are upset; the splits of the rock are not the product of an ordinary earthquake, which might have separated its numerous layers breaking their ties in the weakest points. The rock is divided in a diagonal way, and it is not opened in its weakest points but in the strongest and thickest" (N. Aletta).
The second legend seems to add to the miraculous claim. A Turkish pirate, while climbing through a split in the mountain, began to scoff at the legend of Split Mountain and ridicule those who believed. With his hand on the rock of the crevice, he said to his mates, "if this legend is true, then let this rock become liquid". Even as he was saying this, the rock turned soft and his hand slipped in and left an imprint of his hand and fingers. (I think it's said he became a believer after that.) To this day, the Turk's hand print is still there - only now there is a nice stone plaque marking it's place.
There is a tiny chapel, Crucifix Chapel, built inside one of the splits on top of a large rock that fell and bridged the sides of the split. From there you can see the Turk's Grotto. Here are a few postcards of Split Mountain.
Turk's Grotto seen from the sea.
Turk's Grotto seen from the stairway.
View of the stairs leading through one of the splits and the resting place of Saint Filippo Neri.
The three splits seen from the sea. 2 shows the Crucifix Chapel. 1 shows Turk's Grotto.
"Mano del Turko" The Turk's Hand print and yours truly, elementary school age.
"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split" Matthew 27:50-51, NKJV
Montagna Spaccata is in Gaeta, Italy - not far from Naples. A local legend, well - two really, revolve around Split Mountain. The first is that the mountain broke in three places at the time of Jesus' death. Some may doubt the validity of that legend, prefering natural phenomena to have been the cause, however even the most learned and respected geologists are perplexed by Split Mountain. One such is quoted saying, "Natural, physical, [and] geological laws are upset; the splits of the rock are not the product of an ordinary earthquake, which might have separated its numerous layers breaking their ties in the weakest points. The rock is divided in a diagonal way, and it is not opened in its weakest points but in the strongest and thickest" (N. Aletta).
The second legend seems to add to the miraculous claim. A Turkish pirate, while climbing through a split in the mountain, began to scoff at the legend of Split Mountain and ridicule those who believed. With his hand on the rock of the crevice, he said to his mates, "if this legend is true, then let this rock become liquid". Even as he was saying this, the rock turned soft and his hand slipped in and left an imprint of his hand and fingers. (I think it's said he became a believer after that.) To this day, the Turk's hand print is still there - only now there is a nice stone plaque marking it's place.
There is a tiny chapel, Crucifix Chapel, built inside one of the splits on top of a large rock that fell and bridged the sides of the split. From there you can see the Turk's Grotto. Here are a few postcards of Split Mountain.
Turk's Grotto seen from the sea.
Turk's Grotto seen from the stairway.
View of the stairs leading through one of the splits and the resting place of Saint Filippo Neri.
The three splits seen from the sea. 2 shows the Crucifix Chapel. 1 shows Turk's Grotto.
"Mano del Turko" The Turk's Hand print and yours truly, elementary school age.
Comments
Does the handprint really look like one?
When I was that age, out in Oklahoma, we had "Geronimo's footprint". Don't suppose there was any truth in that, but it was fun anyway.
Anastasia