A real story morphed right into a fairytale, the life and dying of the French Countess Marie Louise St. Simon-Montleart has grow to be the stuff of legends. Buried within the forest near Wildegg Fort in Switzerland, it’s mentioned she is haunting the fort and the forest, her sanctuary.
Excessive above the Aare River, perched on the Chäschtebärg hill close to Möriken-Wildegg within the Swiss canton of Aargau, stands Wildegg Fort. With origins relationship again to round 1200, constructed by the highly effective Habsburgs, this proud fortress has witnessed centuries of wars, dynasties, and secrets and techniques.
Learn Extra: Try all ghost tales from Switzerland
But amongst its lengthy and tangled historical past, one ghostly story nonetheless lingers within the mists of native legend of an outsider who took sanctuary inside the fort partitions from the French Revolution. That is the story of the unhappy queen, Marie Louise St. Simon-Montleart (1763-1804).
A Story of Loneliness and Loss
They name her a queen of Wildegg Fort within the legends, however she was truly a French Countess. Way back, Marie Louise lived at Wildegg Fort along with her husband, in response to legend, a king recognized extra for his indulgence in searching, carousing, and feasting than for any affection towards his spouse.
She was nevertheless married to Louis Marie de Montléart. Initially from Paris, she had fled to Switzerland after the French Revolution. It’s nevertheless true that she was sad of their marriage.
In Versailles on the French courtroom, she turned shut buddies with Baroness Sophie von Effinger, who was herself unhappily married and whose ancestral seat was at Wildegg Fort. Because the French Revolution ravaged the French Courtroom and Paris, she fled to her pal who took her in because the battle went on. She was accompanied by one other Duchess, however it’s not sure if her husband even adopted her.
Because the legend goes nevertheless, her husband uncared for the countess, leaving her to wander the huge and shadowed forests surrounding the fort, searching for solace among the many historical timber. Across the Wildegg Fort as her personal nation went up in flames within the bloody revolution.
The forest, wild and everlasting, turned her solely refuge. It’s mentioned that inside its depths, she discovered peace from her sorrows, the timber whispering consolation to her heavy coronary heart. There, removed from the noise of courtly revels, she is believed to have breathed her ultimate breath.
Throughout a later go to to Wildegg in 1804, Marie Louise St. Simon-Montléar died of tuberculosis. As her spirit left her physique, a mournful rustling wind swept by way of the forest, carrying away the final traces of her grief.
The King’s Guilt and a Haunting Memorial
In line with the legend of her being the queen of the fort, her husband was overcome with guilt for his neglect, and is claimed to have constructed a grand tomb for his misplaced queen deep inside the fort grounds, close to her beloved woods. This half isn’t true, however her grave does actually sit within the close by forest.
The easy rectangular headstone bears the inscription written by Depend von Redern of Bernsdorf :
“Right here rests, after the storm of life, a noble lady. Marie Louise St. Simon-Montléart, born in Paris on October 12, 1763, died in Wildegg on June 21, 1804. She was born a violet amongst thorns and thistles. She fought courageously in opposition to bitter misfortune from early childhood to her grave. She died peacefully amongst buddies, fortunately sensing the next future, for her actions have been simply and her phrases true.”
Depend von Redern was the enterprise companion of her brother Henri Claude and had accompanied her from Montpellier to Wildegg Fort.
To at the present time, guests declare to really feel an odd, uneasy presence when approaching the grave. On nonetheless nights, when the wind stirs the branches and the leaves sigh like whispered phrases, many say it’s the queen’s stressed spirit, perpetually roaming the forest she cherished.
In time, nature reclaimed the resting place, dense timber and creeping vines entwining it as if fulfilling Marie Louise’s unstated want to perpetually be a part of the forest. The grave impressed Walter Fähndrich when he wrote “Music for a Forest Grave” in 2001 and The 15-minute piece begins on the time of native sundown from loudspeakers within the neighborhood of the grave.
The Woman and the Ghosts
There’s one other ghostly legend retold by El Rochholz: Swiss Legends from Aargau from 1856 a couple of lady seeing a ghost round Wildegg Fort. It’s mentioned that each one these born round midnight on Lent are able to seeing spirits. But when they maintain silent about what they final noticed for twenty-four hours, no ghosts can hurt them. There was such a baby within the village of Holderbank.
As soon as upon a time a woman and her colleagues have been strolling residence from work at Wildegg Fort to Holderbank village. It was between 10 or 11 o’clock. As she was crossing, over the mountain to their village, a person wearing inexperienced and armed with a rifle abruptly stepped into her path. She instantly modified her route and after a protracted detour, she reached her home by 1 o’clock.
The opposite women that had been strolling along with her, didn’t know the place she had gone and had already unfold the phrase that she had been shot by a huntsman. She didn’t say a phrase about it.
Later, as she was on her manner from Holderbank to Saffenwil as a bride, a small black canine ran between them. She instantly crossed to the opposite facet of the street, evading as soon as extra the spirits she may see. And regardless of all her fiancés’ questions as to why she was leaving him, she did not reply him for a full 24 hours, believing the legend about not saying a phrase after seeing ghosts.
A Fort of Secrets and techniques
Wildegg Fort, with its commanding view of the Aare and its centuries of layered historical past, stays considered one of Switzerland’s most atmospheric historic websites. Although the Effinger household, the fort’s final noble residents, handed away in 1912 and the property now belongs to the Canton of Aargau, echoes of its haunted previous nonetheless cling to its stones.
And on sure misty evenings, because the wind stirs the timber on the Chäschtebärg, one may sense a faint rustle — and marvel whether it is merely the wind… or Marie Louise St. Simon-Montleart nonetheless strolling amongst her timber.
Latest Posts
-
The Queen of Wildegg Fort and the Grave of Marie Louise St. Simon-Montleart within the Forest
A real story morphed right into a fairytale, the life and dying of the French Countess Marie Louise St. Simon-Montleart has grow to be the stuff of legends. Buried within the forest near Wildegg Fort in Switzerland, it’s mentioned she is haunting the fort and the forest, her sanctuary.
-
The Mysterious White Girl Haunting the Belchen Tunnel within the 80s
Crossing by way of the Jura Mountains in Switzerland, an city legend in regards to the ghost of a girl in white is claimed to have haunted the Belchen Tunnel and was extensively recognized and written about within the 80s. Query is, is she nonetheless haunting the tunnel?
-
The Ghost of Marshalsea Barracks: The Jail That By no means Slept
After falling to his dying attempting to flee the debtor’s jail, The Marshalsea Barracks in Dublin, it’s mentioned the ghost of Pat Doyle is haunting the remaining partitions of the ruins.
-
The Linden Tree of Linn: A Dwelling Monument to Demise, Hope, and Haunting Whispers
Planted to mark the mass grave of plague victims, the Linden Tree within the Aargau valley in Switzerland has grow to be a well-known landmark. Within the evening although, it’s mentioned that the ghosts buried beneath it crawls from the bottom to hang-out as a warning for any oncoming tragedies.
-
The Brazen Head: Dublin’s Oldest Pub and Its Stressed Insurgent
A insurgent and freedom fighter for Irish independence is claimed to hang-out his favourite pub, The Brazen Head in Dublin, the place it’s mentioned he plotted his struggle in opposition to the English.
-
Black Cat Ghosts of Bern: A Metropolis Haunted by Feline Phantoms
The black cat in European folklore is shrouded in thriller and magical lore. From the previous elements of Bern, ghost tales of ghostly black cats linger within the shadows, reminding in regards to the previous worry the feline specter used to carry over folks.
-
The Haunting of Münchenstein’s Rectory Marini Home
Proper outdoors Basel in Switzerland, the haunted former Rectory in Münchenstein is claimed to be haunted by considered one of its former monks.
-
The Ghost Procession of Basel and the Dance of Demise
Mirroring the well-known Dance Macabre mural that used to hold on the partitions close to the Predigerkirche in Basel, it’s mentioned that plague victims have been buried within the patch of grass outdoors of the church. Legend has it that when the town wants it, the lifeless will rise from it in a macabre procession, as a warning of an oncoming catastrophe.
-
The Haunted Halls of the Bern Metropolis Corridor (Rathaus)
The place historical past whispers and shadows reign, the Rathaus in Bern is claimed to be haunted by a myriad of ghosts. Who’re the ghosts lingering within the Metropolis Corridor after darkish?
-
The Stressed Useless Buried Inside Basel’s Double Cloister
The 2 adjoining cloisters by Basel Cathedral are mentioned to be haunted by a few spectres entombed inside the constructing. Within the darkness of Basel’s Double Cloister, it’s mentioned you may hear the moaning of a person slowly suffocating and really feel the unsuspected slap from a person, as imply in dying as he was in life.
-
The Portobello Bar: Spirits on the Canal
A lock keeper from the adjoining lock subsequent The Portobello Bar in Dublin is claimed to be haunting it. Ever since his mistake price the lives of somebody crossing, he’s mentioned to be lingering within the space.
-
Val Sinestra Lodge and the Ghost of Hermann Haunting the Decrease Engadine
In an previous sanatorium in Switzerland the ghost of Hermann is claimed to have been haunting for ages. However who was he when he was alive, and what was his true title earlier than he died within the distant fortress up within the mountains? And is he nonetheless haunting the previous halls the place he by no means made his restoration?
References:
Hier spukt es: Unheimliche Orte in der Schweiz | WEB.DE
Schloss Wildegg – Alemannische Wikipedia
Das Fraufastenkind und die Hasenpfoten – Schloss Wildegg
Marie Louise St. Simon-Montléart – Wikipedia
https://www.fairyhills.com/waldtreu.htm
