The Two Brothers on the lookout over the Marina of Vietri
The Two Brothers are a pair of rocks located in the municipality of Vietri sul Mare, in the province of Salerno. When you look out over the panoramic view of the coast near Vietri sul Mare, it is impossible not to notice the two rocks that act as lookouts for the Vietri beach. They have always been the symbol of Vietri sul Mare, so much so that there are several legends that are told about their appearance in these waters.
Count Umfredo dei Landolfi and Prince Rajan
The first legend has its roots in the distant 871-872 AD during the bloody war between the people of Salerno, led by Prince Guaiferio of Salerno, against the Saracen pirates.
The ancient legend tells that one day a large fleet of Saracen ships appeared in the sea of Salerno and besieged the city. The war had been going on for more than a year, Salerno was starving, the population endured hunger and deprivation. Then Prince Guaiferio, unable to bear the sad spectacle any longer, gathered the Grand Council and proposed to resolve the conflict with a duel between the strongest of the Saracens and the strongest of the Salerno knights. Along the streets of the city the herald announced the challenge between the brave Umfredo, Count of Landolfi, and Prince Rajan, son of Helino, who commanded the army of the attackers. On the appointed day the two young champions faced each other, lance in rest, while the population watched anxiously from above the walls of ancient Salerno, encouraging their paladin. The duel would mark the fate of the city and everyone was holding their breath. Rajan at a certain point ran away under the blows and slashes of Umfredo. He chased him and the duel continued in the area of Vietri. The fight continued fiercely and as the sun set, the two found themselves exhausted and bleeding, almost to death. Their torn clothes revealed the same family crest tattooed on the chest of both of them. Rajan, the half-bloodied Saracen prince said – “What do I see on your chest, oh Christian? The crest of my ancestors. Look carefully, Umfredo, it is the same crest that I wear!” . Umfredo protested incredulously with a thread of voice, when Rajan revealed to him – “But yes, my father Helino spent his whole life looking for a son who had been kidnapped by pirates. It happened many years ago and he looked for him all over the world! Now I have found you again. You are my brother and I killed you!” And Umfredo – “I forgive you! And you forgive me too! What a cruel fate, two brothers, we killed each other. ”
The two died with the desire to embrace each other even for just a moment, then they slipped into the sea, and as legend has it, they transformed into the two rocks that are still called "the Two Brothers" .
The Legend of the Shepherd Brothers and the Nymph Roda
Another very widespread legend about the origin of the name tells of two young shepherds who, having ventured with their flock to the beach of Vietri, were enchanted by the beauty of a mysterious girl who was sleeping in the middle of the sea. When a storm suddenly broke out, the two young men, worried about her, threw themselves into the water in an attempt to save her, but without success and inevitably drowned in those rough waters. The flock faithful to its shepherds followed the two young men and all the animals also met a tragic end. The girl was saved because she was none other than the sea nymph Rhoda, daughter of Poseidon, god of the sea. Poseidon admired the courage and generosity of the gesture of the two young men and decided to transform their remains into the two rocks today known as the "Two Brothers" and the sheep of their flock into small rocks that surround them in the sea.
