THE STORY
Reported Haunting
Visitors to Florence's tiny medieval Santa Margherita dei Cerchi, commonly known as Dante's Church, have reported an overwhelming sensation that the nearly empty sanctuary is crowded with unseen people. Other reported experiences include sudden headaches, unexplained crying, feelings of being watched, and a powerful collective urge to leave the church.
Santa Margherita dei Cerchi is one of Florence's oldest surviving churches and is closely associated with poet Dante Alighieri and Beatrice Portinari. The church is documented as existing by 1032 and traditionally is said to be where Dante encountered Beatrice, whose family maintained tombs there. A modern paranormal account comes from Kate Mulhern, who first visited the church on June 25, 1997 while assisting with a Seattle University study-abroad program. Despite only a small number of people being physically present, Mulhern described an overwhelming sensation that the church was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with unseen people. After approximately ten to fifteen minutes, she felt increasingly that she had overstayed her welcome and needed to leave. Without being prompted, the students accompanying her reportedly turned and exited at essentially the same time. Mulhern returned with different groups during subsequent summers and reported the same sensation repeatedly. When she later asked students about their experiences, some described the same feeling of an invisible crowd and sudden need to leave, while others reported pounding headaches or unexpectedly bursting into tears upon entering. Mulhern stated that everyone she had taken into the church reported some form of unusual sensation. The church contains the Portinari family tomb traditionally associated with Beatrice, where visitors leave letters asking for help in matters of love. However, historical evidence suggests Beatrice herself was probably buried with the family of her husband, Simone de' Bardi, rather than at Santa Margherita. No particular spirit has been identified as the source of the reported experiences.