A Rocky Hermitage

In the 1100s, a wealthy local merchant by the name of Alberto Besozzi, decide to build a cliffside hermitage after surviving a rough storm while crossing Lake Maggiore.  

Give Alberto credit, he wanted to live the life of a hermit, this wasn’t just a “spare my life and I will build a church” reaction, he went all in and became a hermit.

The Eremo di Santa Caterina Del Sasso is only about a twelve mile drive from Rocca di Angera, but instead of being high on a rocky bluff, it is built right into the lake’s cliffside.  Here, take a look:

The iconic photo of the Hermitage.

I can’t even fathom how they built it, especially nearly one thousand years ago.  The initial chapel was joined by two churches in the 1300s.  

This is part of a small modern

art display at the hermitage.

Love their expressions.  This a fresco,

not part of the modern art display.

Pretty wallpaper.

This was the men's toilet.  I have it on

good authority than the women's

toilet was the same.  Ugh.

I can pick out Isola Bella just because

I know what to look for.  Just trust me,

it's there.

Here I had the presence of mind to 

take a picture of the entire press.

This was used for both wine and

olive oil

The cliffs are held back from falling by heavy wiring to hold the rocks in place.  In the 1700s five enormous boulders crashed onto the church, but came to a halt in a chapel’s vault until 1910, when they finished the job (since repaired).

The ceiling of the main chapel.

This guy needed the help of Morrie Kesseler.

The staircase down from the parking lot/entry building is quite long, which is fine going down, but we did not look forward to the walk back up the cliff stairs.  We hadn’t consulted the cliff notes before going, but Carol noticed an elevator for the trip back up.  Phew.

It’s not a place you go for a lengthy visit, but if you near are it, it’s quite the buildings.