Sacra di San Michele

The abbey stands on Monte Pirchiriano at about a thousand metres, built from the end of the tenth century directly onto the summit so that the church floor sits on the rock apex and the buildings are carried on huge foundation walls rising forty metres from the slope. The Scalone dei Morti, the stair of the dead, climbs inside the building to the church door past niches where monks' remains were once displayed. It stands on a line of sanctuaries to Michael running from Mont Saint-Michel to Monte Sant'Angelo. Umberto Eco cited it as one of the inspirations for The Name of the Rose, and it is the symbol of Piedmont by regional law.

History

Some historians place a Roman stronghold here, guarding the road from Italy to Gaul, and the Lombards later built a fortress on the site. The monk William, who lived here in the late 11th century, dated the abbey's founding to 966 in one passage and to the papacy of Sylvester II, 999 to 1003, in another, and the monastery declined until Pope Gregory XV suppressed it in 1622 (Wikipedia, Sacra di San Michele).

What's there

• The summit construction - a church whose floor rests on the mountain apex.
• The Scalone dei Morti - a stair climbing inside the rock to the door.
• The Zodiac doorway - a carved twelfth-century portal on the stair.
• The valley view - the whole Susa valley and the Alps beyond.

When to go

April to October; the abbey closes Mondays in some seasons and reduces winter hours. Wind on the summit is strong. Sunset views are the best of the day.

What to expect

The final approach is a steep walk of around fifteen minutes from the car park, with many steps inside. It is exposed and windy. Parking is limited on weekends.

Nearby

The Susa valley runs west; Turin lies east.

Key facts