Scratches of the Devil

The legend of the “Devil’s Scratches” (Unghiate del Diavolo) on the Cathedral of Pisa (Duomo di Pisa) is a well-known tale tied to the Piazza dei Miracoli. According to the story, the Devil, jealous of the cathedral’s beauty, tried to stop its construction by climbing the north side of the building. An angel intervened to protect it, but before being driven away, the Devil managed to leave claw marks on a piece of marble with his fingernails.

This marble slab is still visible today on the north side of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, near the Camposanto Monumentale at eye level. It’s easily recognized by the numerous small holes said to be the Devil’s scratches.

A curious detail of the legend is that the number of these “scratches” seems to change every time they’re counted, making it impossible to get the same result twice.

Historically, however, these marks are ancient drill holes from a Roman decorative element that was later repurposed as a marble block for the cathedral’s construction.