Verbania: D5 … Eremo di SC del Sasso

One of the reasons we looked at using the ferry system for today’s outing was the highly touted water approach to the Hermitage of Santa Caterina of Sasso in Leggiuno.

The hermitage is perched on a rock ledge at the bottom of a cliff overlooking the Gulf of Borromeo. Arriving by ferry gives visitors a unique perspective that is not available from any other vantage point. Unfortunately, we just could not make the ferry schedule work … which meant going there by car after we left Rocca di Angera.

Shortly after 3:30p, we were parking the car and making our way to the ticket office that sits high above the hermitage, requiring one to negotiate 286 steps to get to it. Fear not, modern engineering, has made it possible for an elevator shaft to be dug through the rock in 2010 to make the hermitage more accessible. We opted to walk down and take the elevator back up.

The hermitage was founded by Alberto Besozzi, a wealthy merchant, who began living here as a hermit after surviving a violent storm at sea. In 1195, he agreed to provide spiritual support to the residents of Lago Maggiore … provided they constructed a chapel honoring Santa Caterina del Sasso. He died and was buried here in 1205. We would be seeing the remains of the eremite next to the chapel that was built per his request.

The current hermitage is unique in that it is a combination of three chapels that were built separately during three different periods. The frescoes are similarly from different periods but primarily from the 14th to the 19th centuries.

Walking along a covered loggia with arched openings overlooking the lake, we first stopped at the Chapter Room …. originally the refectory of the old hermitage, which was built in the 14th century.

A second loggia with arched windows — and a sun-bleached fresco of the Dance of the Macabre high on the wall … which, sadly, I missed — brought us to an inner courtyard. Here was a grotto with nativity figures. Also an ancient wooden wine and olive press.

On the far side of the courtyard, a portico led us inside the church, which consists of five small chapels that were fused together in the 16th century. The oldest of these is the Votive Chapel from the 12th century that is dedicated to St Catherine. Located at the back of the nave, it is the core around which the remaining structures were added. Signage nearby indicated that it was built using the same measurements as the sepulcher of St Catherine of Alexandria on Mount Sinai.

Lying in a glass coffin in a frescoed-vault — the so-called Chapel of the Rocks— we found the body of the later beatified Alberto. Signage explained that at the beginning of the 18th century, five big boulders crashed down on the church, but came to a halt on top of the vault, without causing any serious damage. The boulders remained there until 1910 when they harmlessly completed their roll down to the ground.

Continuing my wander inside the church, I made my way from the back to the front, and squishing myself past some furniture, I found the St Nicholas Chapel. Constructed between the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century. With its damaged, but richly detailed frescoes that predate the ones in the Votive Chapel, it is considered the most important part of the church. I found additional old frescoes in the adjacent chapel dedicated to St Catherine. Though the date of its construction is not certain, its name is mentioned in a document from 1315. The Chapel of St Mary was next to… leading me back to the Chapel of the Rocks.

Retracing our steps through the loggias, we wrapped up our visit in the garden at the far end of the grounds. I’m not sure how many people visit the gardens. Certainly, there was no one there when we went in for a wander … no colorful flowers, but a peaceful place to escape. From here, with tickets for the elevator in hand, we found the access tunnel leading 148 feet (45m) into the rock cliff to ride up 167 feet (51m) up to the top of the cliff.

I’m glad we went to the hermitage even if we had to settle for not seeing it from the water. (I’ve included a screenshot from the website of the hermitage so you can see what we missed.)

We managed to get on the 5:05p ferry departure from Laveno … a double-decker this time … but the upper level was entirely empty. By 6:00p, we were at home discussing dinner plans.

Tomorrow we leave Italy to return to Switzerland for what’s left of our road trip.Read more