It's quite likely that the sword pulled from a stone by King Arthur in the legend is exactly that, just a legend. As far as is known, nobody has retrieved a sword from a stone and became a king. A sword with its own story that almost just as unbelievable exists in the Montesiepi Chapel in Tuscany. This sword's story involved Galgano Guidotti, who was born near Chiusdino in 1148. In 1180, chose to follow the words of Jesus after years of being a wealthy knight and decided to retire near his hometown as a hermit. He started to have visions of the Archangel Michael leading him to the hill of Monte Siepi.

  • Who was Saint Galgano Giudotti?
    • In one of his visions, Michael told Giudotti to renounce all earthly possessions. Shortly after this event, Giudotti was led by an errant horse to the hilltop from his visions, where he was inspired to place a cross.
  • What happened when Giudotti thrust his sword into a stone?
    • Giudotti believed that renouncing his possessions would be as hard as splitting a stone. To prove his point, he thrust his sword into a stone, and to his surprise, the sword easily went through as if cutting through water.
  • Where is Giudotti’s sword today?
    • When Giudotti reached the hilltop, he had no wood for a cross, so he plunged his sword into a stone where it remains embedded to this day.
  • When was Giudotti declared a saint?
    • Giudotti died one year later, and Pope Lucius declared him a saint in 1185.
  • What is the Montesiepi Chapel?
    • The Montesiepi Chapel was constructed around the sword in the stone and today overlooks the San Galgano Abbey ruins from atop a hill.
  • Has anyone tried to steal Giudotti’s sword?
    • Several people have attempted to steal the sword. One such thief was allegedly killed by wild wolves after trying to remove it.
  • What happened to the thief’s hands?
    • The mummified hand of one thief who attempted to steal the sword is on display inside the Montesiepi Chapel as a warning to others.
  • Is Giudotti’s sword protected today?
    • The sword is now protected by a Perspex shield to prevent theft or damage.
  • Is the sword in the stone real?
    • For many years, the sword was thought to be a fake. However, recent studies of the mummified hands, the metal of the sword, and dating results have shown consistency with the late 1100s to early 1200s.
  • Can the legend of the sword be verified?
    • While it's impossible to verify the full legendary history of the sword, its presence does match up with the timeline of Saint Galgano Giudotti.
  • How is the Sword in the Stone connected to Arthurian legend?
    • The tale of the Sword in the Stone is tied to Arthurian legend. It mirrors the story of King Arthur, who pulled a sword embedded in stone when no one else could.
  • Are there other similar stories in Arthurian legend?
    • The legend of Arthur’s sword is not the only tale in Arthurian mythology that involves the impossible retrieval of a sword.

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