Piemonte Italia

Sacra San Michele

For the locals it is simply La Sacra. For those who enjoyed Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose it is the place that inspired the novel and then the film which starred Sean Connery. The Sacra di San Michele, amongst the most well-known Benedictine abbeys, is today considered one of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture in Europe. In order to reach the so-called Doorway of the Zodiac, the visitor has to climb 243 steps, but once at the top, the view is unique as the Alps embrace the valley offering a breathtaking spectacle of natural beauty. The abbey’s architecture is also unique as the mountain’s mass of twisted rock becomes one with the foundations and flights of steps and supporting buttresses. The Sacra di San Michele hosts many cultural initiatives but, above all, it is a place that has never stopped providing hospitality to those who knock at the door, whether they be pilgrims or simply travellers. It is still possible to stay overnight in the cells and experience the same sensations as Saint Anselm of Aosta and the monks of Cluny once did.