South Italy, England and Elysium in the Eighteenth Century

In a complex of interconnecting tunnels at Avigliano in South Italy there are two inscriptions at two entrances in eighteenth century lettering referring, one to Inferno, the other to Elysium. The measurements of the spatial components of the tunnels refer to Pythagorean numerology. The complex is on land formerly belonging to the local Corbo family and was probably constructed about 1762 by Carlo Corbo for rituals of the mystical, somewhat unorthodox Neapolitan freemasonry of the time. They can be compared to the tunnels at West Wycombe, England where Sir Francis Dashwood who, like many contemporaries, was acquainted with Italian freemasonry, apparently parodied such masonic ideas. The Avigliano tunnels were still in use in 1838. By then the Corbo were embroiled in revolutionary politics perceived as having masonic links.