all'osteria bruciata

Numerous roads connect Emilia-Romagna to Tuscany through the Apennines, especially in the section between Bologna and Florence, which in ancient times were little more than mule tracks, then made drivable, until today's highways. However, between the passes of Futa and Giogo, there is another pass, today completely abandoned: the Passo dell’Osteria Bruciata. It is believed that this pass was located along the route of the Flaminia Minor dating back to 187 B.C., then from 1306, following the founding by the Municipality of Florence of the "walled lands" of Scarperia (then Castel San Barnaba) on the southern slope and Firenzuola on the northern slope to oppose the power of the Ubaldini, feudal lords of this part of the Apennines, the route that passed through the pass of Giogo was favored, and the Passo dell’Osteria Bruciata was gradually abandoned. On a map from 1585 related to a legal dispute over some lands, the Passo dell’Osteria Bruciata and a "ruined" construction that was located at the pass is mentioned. It is therefore not certain, but very likely that the "ruined" building was the osteria that was located there. But let's come to the legend, why was the osteria burned? And why was it not rebuilt? The legend tells that the osteria was run by unscrupulous people: the innkeeper and his family used to kill in their sleep the unfortunate travelers who spent the night at the osteria, seized their belongings and served their meats to the next passersby, until one day a friar coming from Bologna and heading to Florence stopped at the inn to refresh himself. The friar, however, was no fool and quickly realized that what he had been served was not beef, so he asked to have some pounds of meat to take to his brothers at Bosco ai Frati, where he intended to stop. The innkeeper prepared the meat of a passerby killed the day before, but instead of going to his brothers, once he arrived at Sant’Agata del Mugello, the friar went to the guards of the vicarage, the meat was recognized as human, a squad of officers set out to the pass, found other remains and evidence of the murders, all members of the family were hanged, the osteria was destroyed and burned so that it could not be rebuilt. It was thought to be a legend until a few years ago when some remnants of walls and a floor with traces of fire were found. What really happened, no one knows.