Sacra di San Michele

Welcome to the Sacra di San Michele, an awe-inspiring religious complex that has stood as a sentinel over the Susa Valley for over a thousand years. Perched at the summit of Mount Pirchiriano, nearly one thousand meters above sea…

As we enter the abbey, we are immediately confronted by the legendary Staircase of the Dead. This monumental climb consists of two hundred forty-three steps that lead toward the top of the sanctuary. …

At the summit of the Staircase of the Dead, we encounter the Zodiac Door, a masterpiece of twelfth-century Romanesque sculpture. The doorposts are decorated with intricate carvings of the zodiac signs and constellations, all…

Stepping into the main church, we find ourselves in a space that beautifully illustrates the transition from Romanesque to Gothic architecture. This new church was built on top of the primitive tenth-century structures, gradually…

Leaving the church, we find ourselves among the ruins of the New Monastery. These structures were built shortly after the church to improve the daily life of the Benedictine monks. …

We now stand near the Tower of the Bell'Alda, a structure linked to one of the most famous and tragic legends of the Sacra. As the story goes, a virtuous maiden named Alda was fleeing from a group of marauding soldiers. …

One of the most mysterious aspects of the Sacra di San Michele is its place on the 'Sacred Line of Saint Michael.' This imaginary line connects seven sanctuaries dedicated to the Archangel, stretching from Ireland to Israel. The…

Our exploration of the Sacra di San Michele concludes here, at the threshold where the mountain meets the sky. We have climbed the two hundred forty-three steps of the Staircase of the Dead, deciphered the celestial messages of…