Legends of Elba Island: mago Chiò, a precursor of roofing?

The ones who were born in Portoferraio heard his name at least one time. And so the youngest people. Today he should be called homeless or clochard. But in that period they called him a fool, even if the epithets that mago Chiò received were not so pleasing.

He was a medium guy, not fat neither slender, shambling, with long arms and strong limbs. His fixation was to become famous, or he was just an extravagant guy. But he had the habit of climbing the walls of lighthouses, fortresses and manor houses. And he wrote its name in big letters on the just-climbed walls.

If you see it in a certain way, he could be considered a sort of precursor of roofing (climbing to the top of the buildings and shoot photos). In reality, mago Chiò was just a good chickens thief that lived thanks to some little thefts in the lands that surround Portoferraio: some eggs, a bit of vegetables, maybe a bunch of grapes.

And the farmers of Portoferraio let him do. Also because wizard Chiò, before stealing, had the habit of announce himself with an old trumpet, from which his legend was born. Probably the farmers, hearing the sound of the trumpet, prepared something for him so that he could “steal” easily.

Image source: Flickr.com/photos/madncrazy