Basilica of St John Lateran

Rom · Italy · Church

On the eve of St John's Day, Herodias and Salome fly over the Lateran — and the witches gather beneath the walnut tree.

The night between 23 and 24 June was known in Rome as la notte delle streghe, the night of the witches. Tradition held that witches gathered under a walnut tree in the fields by the Lateran, and that Herodias and her daughter Salome flew with them through the air, damned for having demanded the head of John the Baptist — the head kept as a relic in this very basilica. To keep them off, Romans walked in procession to the Lateran with torches, bells and clattering pans, ate snails and carried garlic and salt in their pockets, and kept vigil until dawn. The custom survived into the twentieth century. Older Romans still say you should not cross the square in front of the basilica alone on that particular night.

FAQ

Where is Basilica of St John Lateran located?

Basilica of St John Lateran is in Rom, Italy.

Image: NikonZ7II / CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons