A brief trip to a wonderful church in Avigliana: the Sacra di S.Michele. Visit to Piedmont, Italy

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Highway connecting Turin with Monginevro looks very good, very on top of a summit of mountains high, a church, tall and slender, stately and solitary.
Sometimes I wondered what it was and how to reach .... was the Sacra di San Michele!
Then why are the necessary information on the web I've jumped with guided tour, one of those places where I say without reservation: People go there because it is not only a place of worship, is an impressive site, with an interesting history and an attractive 'Engineering from screaming.
Exit at Avigliana (near the lakes) and the main road is followed for the Sacra di San Michele, up a winding narrow road between mountains and green trees, until you come to a clearing where there is the entrance, small and few parking, should endeavor to leave the car parked along the slopes or stuck between rocks, trees and a thousand other cars.
Place gettonatissimo famous tourist destination and a leading entrance to the site there are remains of an ancient church (probably one of the earliest settlements dating back to 1000 AD, a busy street and you get the square .... Boys size, that sense of perfection, power .... you take a single question to see the church or basilica that is ......" coma but they did 1000 years ago to build it here? "
The tour is paid and before the construction begins, the primary base, the tour is essential to understanding the history, the importance of the site and curiosities, without driving is not the same thing. The history of sacred art is unique and important, it takes children and adults, the groups are numerous but silent as a good guide can make all be in strict silence, listening to the history of the Sacra.
The site not only the impressive church but also two guesthouses, one toilet, a small shop and the magnificent and incomparable panoramic view down.
The visit lasts longer 'an hour and admission is possible until 19 with the last tour at 18. And again let it let it do it.
I state that we were lucky enough to have an excellent guide, nice and we could really do in your work, we were a large group and after a first initial tacking of the foundation of the Sacred, as told in the square in front of this church unimaginable, including narratives of the archangel, the foundation of the church, historical periods and distances .... Finally enters.
Accurate to 1000 km from Mont St Michel in France and San Giovanni Rotondo in Puglia, the church has had a unique history, built the first foundation of a sinful man who was to free his soul from sin, in some lords of the area became buried in the sacred freedom from sin in life, the sacred has had 3 important periods referred to by 3 fundamental architectural styles that can be easily denote the untrained eye (like mine) Old Norse style, a more 'sober style medieval castle and a more 'modern but religious.
Periods and peoples, styles and different characters, the story is very complex ...... Benedictine monks, lay people, people who have turned around the sacrum are different, the abbey was then given an impression to the final place of worship all around creating a life not just for the period was substantial.
We go and face the first big, steep stairway to paradise, which takes us up to 20 meters, here 'an arched portal arches carved and signed by Nicholas us out on the terrace with magnificent views both to the top of the sacred leaves breath, both to the valley.
Stairs, stairs and again, some parts are bare but the size of the place exudes from every single humble stone. We enter the central core of the church with the classical structure of a cross, large, rich, colorful and sought after, here 'a secular-religious person tells the story of the church. Very beautiful frescoes on the walls, some "tombs" of the Savoy royal lie still there, not empty, creating even more curiosity and importance of the place.
The greatness and superiority of this church is indescribable.
Leaving you go on the magnificent terrace is uncovered and offers a view unsurpassed. Descending (to hell again), we come first in the former monastery destroyed by the war, with the imposing remains of thick walls, windows, balconies, views ..... and again in the place from where we started, the guide concludes with an acknowledgment that we all turned over to her for letting us enjoy this place until the last minute, until the last stone or pebble.
I do not think I managed to fully convey my emotion and the only advice I can give to everyone is to go there because really worth the price of the ticket even if it doubles.
Again we have a legend ...... writings, we have many famous artists who participated in the construction and embellishment of sacred ...... what the sacred consecrated dall'arcangelo.
A beautiful and unusual statue is placed in the left corner of the front of the Sacred, is an angel, but only bodiless spirit .......
and watch, ..... high, impressive ..... but how come they did to build it up there, really strange!
Enjoy your visit.