The Sacra di San Michele is one of the most scenic monuments in all of Piedmont (if not the most scenic ever), and it is no coincidence that it was chosen as a symbol of the region. Perched atop Mount Pirchiriano, it dominates the Susa Valley from its 962-meter height and gives the valley an unmistakable and decidedly striking profile. It is one of the largest religious architectural complexes from the Romanesque period in all of Europe. Mica pizza and figs.
It is since 1994, then, that the Sacra di San Michele has had the task of representing the Piedmont region. Despite this high visibility, it is not a well-known monument and, from some points of view, this is a good thing since mass tourism often destroys many places. Many people therefore miss the opportunity to visit a decidedly unique place.
The atmosphere of the Sacra di San Michele is a bit like that in "The Name of the Rose": in fact, it seems that Umberto Eco was inspired by the Sacra to set his novel. It even came close to becoming the set of the movie of the same name starring Sean Connery, but the project was never realized due to too high costs. Perhaps just as well, otherwise Sacra’s name would have been forever linked to the book and especially the movie, when it has so many other worthwhile subjects.
We do not know exactly when the Sacra was founded, indicatively we can say between the late 10th and early 11th century. It was built by Benedictine monks and during the 12th century became a place of hospitality for pilgrims traveling along the Via Francigena. The splendor was followed by decadence that resulted in the suspension of the monastic age in 1622. It was not until 1863 that the Sacra revived thanks to the settlement of the Rosminians.
If you decide to reach the Sacra di San Michele on foot you have two alternatives: start from Sant’Ambrogio Torinese or from Chiusa San Michele. In both places there is a train station (Turin-Susa or Turin-Bardonecchia line) not far from the beginning of the mule tracks leading to the Sacra. The elevation gain to be covered is in both cases 600 meters and the estimated walking time is about one hour and 30 minutes (but in my opinion even less).
What changes between the two trails is the approach: going up from Sant’Ambrogio (trail marker 502) you are on the east side of Mount Pirchiriano, going up from Chiusa San Michele (trail marker 503) you are on the west side. As a result, the profile of the Sacra that you catch a glimpse of is somewhat different. You walk mainly in the woods so, even in summer you are sheltered from the sun (of course, it is not recommended to do so in the hottest hours). Along the mule track from Sant’Ambrogio you encounter the 15 Stations of the Cross.
