La Sacred di San Michele, stands out inspiring respect and reverence, in its towering position. It is one of the most impressive religious buildings in the Alpine area. The complex is located on the summit of Mount Pirchiriano, and dominates the Val di Susa from above, unique between France and Italy.
The Sacra di San Michele was probably erected between 996 and 1003. It includes the Abbey, the New Monastery, the New Church and the Bell'Alda tower. At the end of the XNUMXth century, the Foresteria, to give shelter to the pilgrims who climbed the summit; which, however, was completely rebuilt between the end of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries on the north side of the structure.
The tower of the bell'Alda
The structure was dedicated to the daily life of the monks, and inside there was a library, cells, a kitchen, and a refectory. The workshops for crafts could not be missing, but today, we can only see the ruins of the Monastery, purely medieval.
Enchanting the tower of the Bell'Alda, which stands out in the most isolated point of the New Monastery. The name of the tower is linked to the popular legend of the Bella Alda. According to popular belief, Alda was a beautiful girl who, in order to escape from the soldiers who were chasing her, threw herself from the tower; however, she remained unharmed. Later Alda, vain and foolish, for money, threw himself again from the same point, finding his death on the rocks on which the Sacra is perched. Between myth and history, the New Church was built between 1148 and 1170; an imposing Gothic-Romanesque sanctuary, which still welcomes pilgrims today.
The magic line of San Michele
Always, The Sacra di San Michele is wrapped in an enveloping veil of mystery, and enchantment, linked to magic line of San Michele. This is a notorious energy line which unites three abbeys dedicated to the Archangel Michael, including, in addition to ours we il Mont Saint Michel, in the Normandy region, in France, and Monte Sant'Angelo, in Puglia.
According to scholars of white magic, the energy point would be located on a tile of the pavement in the Sacra di San Micheal. This small tile identifiable to the left of the Church, immediately after the entrance; in the specified point the very strong energy of the San Michele line would be perceived. The Sacra di San Michele can be reached on foot via the path to the town of Chiusa di San Michele, or with a mule track from Sant'Ambrogio. Easier is the Path of the Princes from the Mortera village, and very suggestive.
The sacra di San Michele on the Via Francigena
Furthermore, from the Sacra it begins the path of the Franks, a well-known hiking trail that connects the Abbey with the upper valley. For the Sacred the historic Via Francigena also passed, which connects Mont Saint Michel in France to the Foggia Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo. It is also possible to visit the Sacra from October 16 to March 15 from Tuesday to Saturday, from 9:30 to 12:30 and from 14:30 to 17.
Sundays from 9:30 to 12 and from 14:30 to 17:30. The same time is valid for public holidays. In summer, from March 15 to October 16, always from Tuesday to Saturday, from 9:30 to 12:30 and from 14:30 to 18. Sundays from 9:30 to 12 and from 14:30 to 18:30. Again, the same time is valid for holidays. The full ticket is eight euros and the reduced for those who are entitled to it is four euros.
Guided visits to the Sacra di San Michele
The entrance to the Sacra di San Micheland it is free for children under 6, and every Sunday afternoon and on public holiday afternoons, there are guided tours of the Sacra di San Michele, with cost included in the entrance ticket.
It is also possible to find detailed information on the Sacra di San Michele website www.sacradisanmichele.com. Those who do not give up on climbing can achieve the area with mountaineering ascents. The complex can also be reached via the via ferrata Carlo Giorda, which starts from Sant'Ambrogio di Torino at the foot of Mount Pirchiriano.
