Venice mourns bartender's mysterious death after shamanic ritual

The death of 26-year-old bartender Alex Marangon shakes the Venetian community. He died under mysterious circumstances after participating in a shamanic ceremony. The incident occurred following a two-day ayahuasca ritual at the abandoned Santa Bona Abbey in Vidor, located in the province of Treviso.

Alex Marangon was one of approximately twenty participants in the ceremony aimed at spiritual healing. The event was organized by Andrea Gorgi Zuin and Tatiana Marchetto, known in Italy as “musical medics.” The ceremony also featured an Amazonian healer and a Colombian musician, Jhonni Benavides, specializing in ritual chants.

During the ritual, participants consumed tea made from ayahuasca, a plant known for inducing solid hallucinations. Ayahuasca is banned in many countries, including Italy, due to its psychoactive properties.

Marangon consumed ayahuasca twice and received an injection of Amazonian frog venom to alleviate asthma symptoms. Witnesses testified that they monitored his movements for a while before losing sight of him.

He was last seen around 3 AM, running barefoot through the abbey gardens. Participants reported his disappearance three hours later. Police found his phone, car, and documents on the abbey grounds, but Marangon was nowhere to be seen.

His body was discovered several days later on an islet in the Piave River, 2.5 miles from the ceremony site. An autopsy revealed Marangon died from a head injury. He also had multiple rib fractures and other bodily injuries. Prosecutor Marco Martani from Treviso confirmed Marangon died as a result of violence, not an accident.

Marangon's family is devastated and is appealing for help to solve the mystery of his death. His mother, Sabrina Brosser, urged the ceremony participants to break their silence and help reveal the truth.

“My son would not have vanished into thin air. He was full of dreams and desires. Above all, he would not have left without his cell phone,” said Sabrina Brosser.

The ceremony organizers, Zuin and Marchetto, cooperate with the police, but the investigation is complicated. Meanwhile, reports have emerged that Marangon may have had connections with satanic cults, which are currently being investigated by local police.

The death of Alex Marangon is a tragic reminder of the dangers associated with illegal and potentially hazardous shamanic practices.