Among the many things to see in Piedmont and around Turin, there’s a place nearby where it seems like you’re looking out onto heaven. You have to climb, continue going up, and pursue a tortuous path…a path for the body, mind and spirit. This special place is the Sacra di San Michele, an ancient Benedictine abbey built at the end of the 9th century A.D. on top of Mount Pirchiriano, at an altitude of 962 meters above sea level and, today, a symbol of Piedmont.

According to legend the Sacra di San Michele was built with the angels’ help. For this reason, the Benedictine monks dedicated the abbey to Archangel Michael. Around the 12th century the abbey used to host pilgrims travelling on the Via Francigena from northern Europe, across the Alps and heading towards Rome, the holy city.