Episode 1: The Basano Vase

A photo of the Basano Vase, photo credit Factschology.

The Basano Vase is a lesser known paranormal artifact of 15th century Italy. Not unlike more famous haunted objects such as the Dybbuk Box or Annebelle the Doll, the Basano Vase has a rather unusual ghost story. According to the legend, the Basano Vase was a cursed item known to unalive its owners. That is, if it ever even existed at all.

Episode Transcripts

As a paranormal researcher, trust me when I say that I am constantly digging into the details of cursed and haunted artifacts. The myrtles plantation mirror, Thomas Busby’s chair, and the dibbuk box are a few famous and well documented examples that come to mind. However, there is one item that, despite countless hours of research, has always remained somewhat of an enigma. An artifact that by all means should have scores of documented cases and eye witness accounts. But instead has been dismissed as nothing more than a 15th century piece of Italian folklore.

A myth, or at least that’s what the skeptics say. And yet the Basano Vase is known as one of the most haunted items in history, with a murderous reputation and a sinister story that precedes it. One that all begins with a murder at a wedding. 

I’m Courtney Hayes and you’re listening to haunts. Stay tuned… 

Break for music

Throughout history, gifting couples intricate vases on their wedding day has been a common tradition. One that was widely practiced around the world. In 12th century France, Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine gifted her husband-to-be, King Louis VII, a rock crystal vase to commemorate their wedding day. In North America, wedding vases were and still are a common staple in Native American cultures. In the Italian tradition, newlywed couples break glass vases for good luck and longevity in their marriage. So it comes at no surprise that, in the 15th century, in a small town outside of Napoli, Italy, a now nameless bride received a vase on the eve of her wedding. 

At first glance, the vase seemed to be a very generous, albeit, plain gift. By now, the renaissance was in full swing and the arts were at the forefront of Italian society. Anatomically correct marble statues, frescoe style wall paintings, and Maiolica pieces were in high fashion and brides of the era could usually expect to receive wedding gifts that fit this mold. 

So you can imagine this young brides dismay upon receiving this gift. The vase was stout and modest in its design. While it was made completely of silver and weighed a hefty 4 pounds, it did not include any of the artistic detailing that was fashionable at the time. The vase was simply unimpressive and if I’m being honest, it carried a very striking resemblance with that of an urn. 

And it may as well have been, because the bride never saw her wedding day. By the time that the sun rose that morning, she was dead; still clutching the soon-to-be infamous basano vase in her hands. 

In some variations of the tale, the bride was discovered by her would be groom, in just enough time for her to whisper her departing words. There, laying on the floor in her chambers, she vowed with dying breath to seek revenge on her killer. 

As it seemed, a murderer was on the loose at the wedding; but little did they know, the basano vase and it’s anonymous benefactor were to blame. 

Break for music…

Family heirlooms can be tricky. All too often, will readings and estates sales result in unnecessary familial tension with an underlying sense of grief. Presumably, our young bride’s family could identify with these emotions in the days following what should have been a happy and momentous occasion. Almost certainly, the family and the groom would have felt cheated out of what was supposed to be the start of a loving and prosperous union. 

And on top of this grief, there was the matter of the brides earthly possessions. Would her dowry still be paid to the groom in full? What of her wedding dress and the gifts? And perhaps most importantly, would anyone be interested or even willing to keep the vase? 

These are just a few of the many questions that were surely asked in the days leading up to the bride’s funeral and slowly but surely these arrangements were made. Soon, a close family member, perhaps a cousin, brother or sister, or maybe even the groom himself was tasked with hanging onto the vase for safe keeping. 

It was a simple favor, one that any close relative would have gladly been able to handle. Especially given that the vase was still an expensive and lavish piece of decor.. even if it was described as plain. And the only caveat would be having to stomach the vases recent history… or so one could assume. But only a few days after taking possession of the basano vase, this relative too met an untimely end. 

Not yet knowing the malevolent role that the face was playing in the story, the family began making funeral arrangements and dividing up this family members estate. Before long, the basano vase change hands and came into the possession of another close relative. The cycle continued, and within days, this family member was also dead. 

By now, the family was drawing a connection between the basano vase and this suspicious string of deaths. At this point in our story, none of the family members wanted to claim the vase; and for good reason, as it appeared, whoever initially gave it to the bride and groom had obviously cursed the vase. Or at the very least had it cast from cursed materials. 

Regardless of its origins, the family was stuck in dangerous and dire situation. They couldn’t keep the vase as the curse would surely continue until the entire family met their demise. But they also couldn’t sell it or simply throw the vase away out of fear that the curse would then be passed onto some unsuspecting and undeserving stranger. 

They were running out of time and options so they did the only thing that they could reasonably think to do. It was then that the family  made contact with a local priest for help and a little bit of guidance. After hearing their case, the priest instructed the family to bury the vase on hallowed ground. This should, the priest presumed, prevent the curse from continuing to run rampant through the remaining members of the family. Likewise, it was very unlikely that any unsuspecting passer by would come across the vase and keep it for themselves. 

Feeling reassured and likely very relieved, the family did as instructed and buried the vase on hallowed ground. Many believe it was buried near the priest’s parish. Other variations of the story say they the vase was buried in a cemetery, perhaps even with the vase’s most recent owner. 

Due to the enigmatic nature of this tale, no one is quite sure where the family laid the vase and its curse to rest. All we can say for sure is that it worked. The bride’s family was freed from the vase’s clutches and it remained hidden from the world. That is until the vase was once again unearthed, over 500 years later, when it again reaped havoc across the Italian countryside. 

Break for music… 

In the beginning of the episode, I mentioned that the story of Basano Vase was dismissed as nothing but a bit of folklore. And if I’m being honest, this is a presumption that I can almost get behind. After all, up until this point in the story, the information I have shared on the Basano Vase has been vague and lacking in the area of eye witness testimony and concrete evidence. And as long as we are being honest, I should mention that the remainder of this story will be more of the same. 

It is unfortunate, but the basano vase is a fairly undocumented case, which is why I find it to be an equally fascinating and frustrating subject. Up until recently, the tale was almost wholly recounted by word of mouth, so by definition it is folklore. But in spite of that, I believe the the existence of the basano vase is at least remotely possible. Because after 500 years of dormancy, the curse of the Basano vase resurfaces in the late 1980s and it’s story continues in a more modern setting; a fact that, at least in my opinion, lends some legitimacy to its case. 

In 1988, yet another nameless individual living in the campania region stumbled onto the Basano Vase. Again, the manner in which this individual discovered the lost vase is greatly debated. In some variations, he dug up the vase in his backyard, presumably while doing lawn work or landscaping. But in most versions of the story, the vase simply reappears; almost as if the vase manifested itself out of sheer will or a bit of bad luck. However, one thing rings true in each telling of this story that I can across. 

You see, the Basano Vase was buried with a message from the bride’s family. Almost as if they were reaching out from beyond the grave, to once again stop what is now a centuries old curse. Upon discovering the vase, the man reached inside and found, written on a small piece of parchment, a note that read “Beware… This vase brings death.”

So what became of the man who rediscovered this insidious artifact? Did he meet an untimely end like all of the previous owners? Fortunately for this individual, he was spared and even profited off of the basano vase. 

According to several sources, he simply discarded the warning—likely blinded by the monetary value of the vase itself. I’m fact, he almost immediately took it to an auction house where it was sold to a pharmacist for 4 million lire which roughly translates into more than $2200 USD by today’s standard. 

I think we can all agree, that’s a hefty profit—especially considering the alternative option that this man could have faced. Unfortunately, the story of the basano vase does not end here; and the pharmacist who purchased the vase would not be so lucky. 

After purchasing the vase, the pharmacist remained its owner for about three months—which would have been the longest that any one individual possessed the vase in a single sitting. But the did cycle continue and before long the pharmacist unexpectedly passed. Yet again, the family grieved and the vase was sold to its next victim—a 37 year old doctor who lived and worked in the area. But after several months, he too met the same premature end. 

It was then that the Basano Vase was acquired by an archeologist who collected rare artifacts such as this. Now one could hope that if anyone would be able to safely possess such a dangerous item, it would be this archeologist. But sadly, it is likely that the archeologist was unaware of the vase’s curse. After a few short months with the vase in his possession, the archeologist contracted a mysterious infection and before long, he too fell victim to the vase’s power. 

Break for music… 

After claiming three more souls during the late 1980’s, the basano vase exchanged hands one final time before disappearing yet again. And the ending to this story is almost as peculiar as it’s beginning. 

After the archeologist’s passing, the vase was sold to an unknown buyer. Unsurprisingly, there is little known about the vase’s final owner. The purchase price was never recorded, nor do we have their name or even an occupation. All we really know about this individual was that they fell victim to the vase’s curse within a month of buying it. 

And this is where things get strange.. well stranger than they already were. Apparently, the final owner’s family members knew of the curse. Or at the very least suspected that the vase played a key role in their loved ones death. 

According to several sources, at this point in this story, the vase was gaining somewhat of a notorious reputation—that once again those who came in contact with the vase were drawing a grim conclusion between the vase and it’s proprietors. If this were the case, it’s hard not to imagine that this final owner knew of the curse at the time of purchase… and bought the vase anyway. 

Now this is not to say that they were blame, but you have to admit, it’s more than a little strange and a touch unsettling. Especially considering what happens next. 

Like I said, this individual’s family was beginning to suspect the vase’s connection to this string of death. And they were rightfully scared to even be associated with it. So they, like the bride’s grieving family from centuries past, were stuck in a morally compromised situation. 

They could either sell the vase and evade the curse or they could keep it and suffer the dire consequences. To make matters worse, the basano vase was gaining notoriety in the area. And as a result, the vase was pretty much unsellable. 

Truthfully, the family was left with little options. So they opted to handle their situation with poise and threw the curse out the window… literally. So the story goes, the family was in such dire straits that they took the vase and threw it from the window of their high rise apartment. Seemingly, without much regard to the pedestrians walking on the sidewalk below. 

Fortunately for everyone involved, no one was seriously injured and the family was spared further fatal incident. But they didn’t get off Scott free. Because the basano vase lived up to its reputation and struck an unsuspecting police officer who was patrolling the neighborhood at the time. 

Needless to say, the officer wasn’t exactly thrilled to be struck in the head with four pounds of falling silver. So after retrieving the vase, he entered the apartment building with intentions of fining the its owner. When the officer finally tracked them down, the family gladly took the fine with little to no argument. But they refused to take the vase back into their possession. Leaving the officer to dispose of it himself. 

Almost immediately, the officer was decidedly sure that he wanted nothing to do with the vase. In fact, he even stated that he could feel negativity radiating off of the artifact. 

At first, he tried to donate the vase to a museum only to find that the curator knew of its history and would not accept the donation under any circumstances. To make matters worse, he went to several institutions after acquiring the vase. But they all refused to include it in their exhibits due to its grim reputation. After several rejections, the officer made the decision to take matters into his owns hands. And with that, the Basano vase was hidden away… hopefully for the last time. 

Break for music…. 

Not unlike the start of this story, the Basano Vase’s final resting place has been highly speculated. Some believe that it was placed into a sealed lead box, in the hopes that the metaphysical properties could contain the curse’s power. Others theorize, that it was once again buried on scared ground. Perhaps both are true.

Perhaps the Basano Vase never existed at all, especially considering the lack documentation for the claims made about the vase. Not to mention that the theories and lore surrounding this is topic have faced much criticism. And while I find the story of the Basano Vase to be a compelling one, I would be remiss to not bring these critiques and theories to your attention. 

Namely, the basano vase is made purely of silver—a material that historically throughout folklore is used for protection against paranormal phenomena. Like using silver bullets to kill a werewolf for example. So how is it possible that a pure silver vase could be cursed?

Well, as you may have guessed, this claim is a myth in its own right. One that can be traced back to rural region of Gévaudan, France in the 1760s. At the time, the villagers were being terrorized by what they were calling a man eating beast— one that killed nearly 100 men women in childhood before it was finally slain by a silver bullet. 

Today, historians believe that the animal was more of a regular wolf than a larger than life beast but the story did spark a fascination with silver bullets and, before long, silver was regarded as a protective element. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be cursed. And beside the fact, the story of the beast of Gévaudan took place about 300 years after the first reference of the basano vase. All things considered, this critique of the vase’s legitimacy sort of misses the mark. But there are some theories, at least from my perspective, that carry a bit more substance. 

Metaphysically speaking, silver is known to absorb energy. And whether or not theories of metaphysical philosophy are true, I still stand firm that objects that have the capacity to… remember key events in its history particularly negative ones. And that may well be true in this case. 

Let’s rewind back to the beginning of our story. Now remember that the bride was found lying on the floor in her chambers, still clutching the vase, swearing to get her revenge as the light left her eyes. And almost instantly, the vases unknown benefactor was accused of cursing the vase with intentions of killing the bride. But what if there is an alternative to the vase’s origin story? 

There are some who claim that it was the bride who purchased the vase as a wedding gift to her husband. Only she was attacked by an unknown assailant before she could give it to him. Being there to bear witness to the horrific act, the negative energy could have imprinted itself onto the Basano vase, creating the curse that we know today.

Or perhaps the bride is simply haunting the basano vase herself. After all, her dying words were a vow to seek revenge for her death. So we it be so unreasonable to assume that she is now a vengeful spirit, hell bent of leading others to the same fate? 

Break for music 

Credits 

References

https://www.thegypsythread.org/curious-tale-basano-vase/

https://darkhauntings.wordpress.com/2016/03/20/the-haunting-curse-of-the-basano-vase/

https://factschology.com/mmm-podcast-articles/cursed-basano-vase

https://burialsandbeyond.com/2021/02/05/the-debatable-haunting-of-the-basano-vase/

https://www.visitalbuquerque.org/abq365/blog/post/a-symbolic-southwestern-gift-meaningful-of-love/