A town in northern Italy has renamed a square after a musician and private secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots, who was brutally murdered at Holyrood Palace.
In 1566, David Rizzio was in the Queen’s private apartment when conspirators burst in, pushed her aside and dragged Rizzio away before stabbing him 56 times.
The mayor of Moretta officially opened Piazzetta David Rizzio earlier to commemorate his journey from the region to the Scottish royal court.
Gianni Gatti said: “We feel a deep connection with this story and wanted to make sure all the people of Moretta knew about our link with Scotland.”
He added that while Rizzio was “truly famous” in Scotland, he was not as well known locally.
“How is it possible that he is such an important person in Scotland, but not in the area where he is from?” he said.