Jaz sem, ti si, Veronika.

''Svijet se čini tako beskrajan, a ja svog mogu zagrliti dvije ruke...''

Forbidden love. What is that essentially? The explanation would be something along the lines of ''forbidden love is a romance between two people that is opposed by family, friends or society, as their relationship may defy cultural, religious or societal norms''. That about sums it up, but what is it really? It's a slow painful death. It's drowning on dry land. It's the sun never shining again. It's playing with fire and getting burned. It's the craving, the pining and the what ifs. What would you do if nothing was holding you back? It's the heartbreak, the pain, the torment. It leaves you broken inside and questioning if it was even worth it...

We all know the story of Romeo and Juliet right? ''For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo''...well I'm here to tell you a sadder story. Story of a couple that lived in my own hometown. I wrote about the ''Counts of Celje'' several times, but to summarize, they were the most influential late medieval noble dynasty in the area of present day Slovenia. They were the counts from 1341 and rose to ''Princes of the Holy Roman empire'' in 1436, but unfortunally died out in 1456 with the death of Ulrik II. 

But this story is not about Ulrik, this story is about his father, Friderik II. and his Veronika. So if we go right at the start of this story, supposedly Friderik met Veronika one day while out hunting, and getting injured by a deer. Like an Angel sent from heaven with long beautiful blonde hair Veronika came running to his aid. She was a knowledgeable healer and familiar with different plants and herbs. We know what title that gave you in medieval times right? A witch. She was actually the first woman in this area accused of witchcraft but we'll get to that. Now it seems that as soon as these two laid their eyes on each other they fell in love, so romantic isn't it? One look it's all it takes. Unfortunally though, when Friderik met her he was married to his first wife Elizabeta, who died mysteriously after Friderik and Veronika met. We can all put two and two together and assume this is murder right? You know that in most cases the motive for murder is either money or love? 

The cause of Elizabeta's death was never revealed, but it's a known fact that she died the same day Friderik came to see her. I'm going to give you a theory on what happened. Poison. My wild guess. Veronika DID know a lot about healing plants, I have no doubts she knew a thing or two about poisonous ones too. Of course rumors were flying around that Friderik did it, because of course she was in the way of his one true love and a divorce is out of the question for a noble family. But there was never any evidence that would corroborate this and actually accuse him of murder. Ironically though, it seems that true love is not only worth suffering for but also killing for. Three years after his wifes death Friderik married Veronika in secret because she was not noble, their love was impossible, she was not ''good enough for him''. How many times have we heard this? How many times have we wondered if we're good enough for something, for someone? It's like...hundreds and hundreds of years later, nothing is changed, our doubts, our fears, our love...everything is mirroring, everything is basically the same. 

There's an urban legend going around about a castle, nothing but ruins remain of it today (btw Friderik had a castle build for his wife Veronika, with the money he stole from his father. Now that is extra don't you think?), piles of boulders in the middle of a forest, nature took claim of it. In the middle of the ruins, there is a very odd looking stone, a stone that looks as if it's melted. What would it take for a rock to melt? Temparatures between 600 to 1300 celsius. The story goes that Friderik and Veronika sat on the rock and kissed, and it was their burning passionate love that melted it. We know today that's bullshit but it's a nice idea aint it? Love so strong, so passionate. You know I go crazy. You know us Italians, we're all about love and passion. 

Here come the complications and the heartbreak, Frideriks father Herman II. did not like the idea of this love, first of as I mentioned Veronika was unworthy, their union was against Hermans political plans, and god forbid the inheritance! Now him being so paranoid and influential meant that he has his spies everywhere, so the news of his sons marriage came to him too. He found out his son is not only married but madly madly in love, and whats worse? The had a son together! The horror! The family went into hiding because of his fathers persecution, and this is the one time where Catholic church did something right and help them hide. A prior hid them in a convent. Out of spite and anger Herman burned down the castle Friderik build for Veronika (it was rebuid by Friderik after Hermans death but still fell to ruins later) and whats interesting is that each year on that spot, pink roses grow and bloom amongst the ruins. 

Running out of ideas Herman accused Veronika of witchcraft, beacuse it's impossible for his son to be in love right? It's impossible for him to be this crazy about someone, to be so passionate, to be so devoted...only logical explanation? She's a witch and he must be under a powerful spell. If such a thing existed can someone point me towards the witch that can cast it? I sure as hell wouldn't be against someone completely obsessed with me *coughTomCruisecough* in a healthy way that is. So Herman wanted Veronika to burn for her crimes but what makes this story unique is not only was she the first woman accused of witchcraft but she was also acquitted. She apparently had a fantastic defence and a witness statement by the very prior that hid them, which helped the charges against her to be dropped. It didn't help much though, Herman was on a war path, determined to end this love story, so he had her locked up in one of their many castles, determined to starve her to death. 

Friderik on the other hand was locked in a tower. A tower build specifically to be a jail cell for Friderik, his father apparently hoped he'll come to his senses or break the spell or whatever else he was thinking. My heart literally hurts for him, locked in that tower, no windows, no doors, and ripped away from the love of his life not knowing what fate she suffered. Can you imagine the heartbreak? Can you imagine the pain after he finally learned? I can't. It's a story so tragic it's making me want to cry. 

So Hermans plan of starving Veronika didn't pan out, locals were bringing her food, so Herman did the next logical thing. Logical in his head that is, he had his servants storm the castle and kill her. Supposedly they drowned her in a bathtub. Ironic because drowning was the second most popular way to kill a witch. Herman had their son Ivan traced and killed as well. Talk about a real ruthless animal that goes over bodies to get what he wants, even bodies of his own family. Vile. Disgusting. And one would think we evolved and grew and learned but reality is that we became even more animalistic. I keep thinking about Friderik in that tower getting the news from one of his loyal servants that dug a hole under the wall and was brining him food. I just...I think about what I would do, what I would feel and it's killing me, it's breaking my heart. 

Herman learned that at some point Friderik will have to be released, because he's his first son and heir to the ''throne''. So at literally the brink of death Herman let him go. I wonder what led to it, starvation by force or just heartbreak. I think it was the second. I think he literally felt like he had nothing to live for no more. First thing he did upon his release was to move Veronikas body to the convent they were hiding in, and out of grief never again remarried, I suppose that contributed to the dynasty dying out. Friderik gave away all his possesions to convents after that and his only death wish? To be burried next to his love. Of course it wasn't granted. Of course he had to be buried in the same church the entire family is buried in. 

Here's another dark and twisted turn in this tale. While Frideriks wish was not granted and he was not buried with the love of his life, parts of him might have been. It was not unusual in those times to bury the body, the head and the heart separate and I think we all know which part of him would of end up with her. But that's not the twist in the story, the twist is while the local museum has his skull in it's depo (supposedly that is, there's some speculation that the skulls in the museum possesion are not the counts after all, after a 1800s fire that burned down the church where they were buried, the tombs were treated unprofessionally and bodies removed in a way that left them too damaged, with no way to actually extract and compare DNA), and the last resting place of Veronika IS known, nobody knows where she is today. Story goes that she is in the ground where a torn down part of the convent (a chapel, the very same one Friderik chose as his own resting place, coincident? I think not) is but nobody knows for sure. I read once that a GPR analysis showed anomaly in the soil, and that they were able to map out an entire chapel that is supposedly in good condition, but it was never dug up and explored. 

There are several archived documents that lead to thinking she's there. In 1434 Friderik asked the Vatican for a pardon for this chapel, the chapel itself was dedicated to Mary and an institution that belonged to the Count family. And in 1428 the highest member of the Carthusian order issued ''some'' permit in connection with ''some'' chapel, upon ''some'' request by the monks in the convent. The request was to let a woman be buried in an all male convent. Now the only woman in connection to this convent is Veronika who was hiding there, so this makes sense that she'd also be buried in a place that was SO important to the both of them. The Vatican archives claim that this request was granted by the way. 

You know me. You know I'm going crazy. You know I HAVE to know how this story ended, and I hope one day we get to learn where she is, maybe even if somehow by some miracle they still ended up together. The romantic in me wants to believe that's the case anyways. Until then...here's some pictures....