Monumental, mysterious Sacra di San Michele (Abbey of Saint Michael) is dedicated to the Archangel Michael. Built in the 10th century on a rocky pinnacle soaring spectacularly above the Val di Susa, it is at once awe-inspiring, solemn, stark and glorious – a parallel vision to Mont St. Michel in Normandy. Benedictine monks gave pilgrims shelter here as they traversed the Via Francigena, a major pilgrimage route. It was the inspiration for Umberto Eco’s labyrinthine abbey in “The Name of the Rose.” Antiquity and prayer percolate up from the walls, radiate from the flying buttresses, echo silent footsteps on the Staircase of the Dead. Not to be missed.
*NOTE: Lunch is not included
