The Sacra di San Michele

From the motorway that links Turin to the Montgenèvre you can see it clearly, on the very top of a towering rocky peak: a tall, slender church, imposing and solitary. Many times I wondered what it was and how you reached it... it was the Sacra di San Michele! So once I'd found the information I needed online, I popped up there with a guided tour, one of those places where I say without hesitation: people, go, because it isn't just a place of worship — it's an impressive, fascinating place with a mouth-watering history and breathtaking engineering.

You leave the motorway at Avigliana (by the lakes) and from the main road you follow the signs for the Sacra di San Michele, climbing a mountain lane among hairpin bends and green trees until you reach a clearing where the entrance is; parking is small and scarce, so you have to get creative, leaving the car along the slopes or wedged between boulders, trees and a thousand other cars. It's a hugely popular spot, famous and a top-class tourist destination. At the entrance to the site there are the remains of an ancient church (probably one of the first settlements dating back to around the year 1000 AD), then a crowded little lane and you arrive at the churchyard... Boy, what grandeur, that sense of perfection, of power...

seeing the church or basilica you ask yourself just one question: "how on earth did they build it here, 1,000 years ago?" The guided tour is paid and begins in front of the building, on the original base. The guided tour is essential to understand the history, the importance of the site and the fascinating curiosities; without a guide it isn't the same thing. The history of the Sacra is unique and important, it appeals to adults and children alike; the groups are large but silent, because a good guide manages to keep everyone in strict silence as they listen to the story of the Sacra. The place has not only the imposing church but also two guesthouses, a toilet, a small shop and the magnificent, unequalled panoramic view down below. The visit lasts more than an hour and entry is possible until 7 pm, with the last guided tour at 6 pm. Do it, do it, and then do it again.

I should say we were lucky to have an excellent guide, friendly and really good at her job; we were a large group and after an initial sketch of the story of the birth of the Sacra, told in the churchyard in front of this unimaginable church — tales of the archangel, the founding of the church, historical periods and distances... At last you go inside.

Exactly 1,000 km from Mont St Michel in France and from San Giovanni Rotondo in Puglia, the church has had a unique history: originally founded by a sinful man who needed to free his soul from sin; inside, some local noblemen had themselves buried in the Sacra to be freed from their sins in life; the Sacra had three important periods, named after three fundamental architectural styles that can be easily spotted even by an inexperienced eye (like mine): an ancient Nordic style, a more sober medieval-castle style and a more modern one, though still religious. Different periods and peoples, styles and characters — the history is truly very complex... Benedictines, laypeople, several people revolved around the Sacra; the monastery then gave a definitive imprint to the place of worship, creating all around it a considerable life that was significant for the period.

We go in and tackle the first great, very steep stairway of paradise, which takes us up 20 metres; here a round-arched portal, carved and signed by Nicolao, brings us out onto the magnificent terrace, with a view both towards the upper part of the Sacra, which leaves you breathless, and towards the valley. Stairs, stairs and more stairs; some stretches are bare, but the grandeur of the place oozes from every single humble stone. We enter the central core of the church with the classic cross layout: large, very rich, sought-after and colourful. Here a lay-religious figure tells us the history of the church. The frescoes on the walls are very beautiful; some "tombs" of the House of Savoy still lie there, not empty, creating even more curiosity and importance around the place. The grandeur and superiority of this church is indescribable.

Coming out you go onto the large, magnificent terrace, which is open to the sky and offers an unequalled view. Then, descending (back towards the underworld), we first reach the former monastery destroyed by the war, with imposing remains of thick walls, windows, balconies, views... and then once more the place we had started from. The guide ends with a thank-you that all of us pass back to her, for making us appreciate this place down to the last minute, to the last stone or pebble. I don't think I've managed to convey my emotion to you fully, and the only advice I can give everyone is to go, because it's truly worth the ticket price even if it were double. Here too we have a legend... we have writings, we have various famous artists who took part in building and embellishing the Sacra... Sacra because it was consecrated by the archangel.

A very beautiful and unusual statue stands in the left corner of the facade of the Sacra; it represents an angel, with no body, only spirit... and you look at it... very tall, imposing... but how on earth did they manage to build it, up there? Truly singular! Enjoy your visit.