Continuing our series on the “Sword of St. Michael,” we will examine another apparition of St. Michael along the sacred line of seven monasteries that stretches from Ireland to Israel.
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Unlike the monasteries that we have already covered, this monastery is not in the middle of the sea. Instead, Sacra di San Michele is in the middle of the Alps in the Piedmont region of Italy that borders France.
It is a sight to behold and is located on an ancient pilgrimage route between Mont St. Michel and Monte Gargano, two of the most important sites dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel.
The monastery at the peak of the mountain was founded around the year 983 by a hermit named St. Giovanni Vincenzo. He was a disciple of St. Romuald, who was a reformer of monasticism in Italy. He was especially inspired by an eremitical monasticism similar to that found in Egypt and Ireland. Romuald formulated a short rule based on this type of monasticism where he wrote, “Sit in your cell as in paradise. Put the whole world behind you and forget it. Watch your thoughts like a good fisherman watching for fish. The path you must follow is in the Psalms – never leave it.”
It is very likely St. Giovanni Vincenzo was propelled by the same desires of the Irish monks to seek out a “desert,” where he could devote his life to God, separated from the world.
According to legend, St. Giovanni Vincenzo founded the monastery at the request of St. Michael. The Archangel appeared to him several times and not only that, St. Michael helped transport the necessary building materials to the top of the mountain.
Besides that, little is known about the early origins of the monastery. It eventually became a primary point of devotion to St. Michael and as noted earlier, was an important pilgrimage stop, a half-way point, between Mont. St. Michel and Monte Gargano.
It is known as the inspiration for the novel The Name of the Rose by Italian author Umberto Eco.
In our next article, we will explore one of the oldest sites dedicated to St. Michael, Monte Gargano.
–> Don’t forget to check out the other articles in this series on the legendary Sword of St. Michael,