The Grotta di San Michele is immersed in the woods of the Cicolano Mountains, at about 1,000 meters above sea level. It is a small rock church built inside a natural cave, a place of great charm and spirituality.
The cult of San Michele Arcangelo was introduced to Sabina by the Lombards and spread to many high and steep places in Italy, often associated with caves and natural cavities. According to local tradition, it is here that the warrior saint fatally pierced a terrible dragon, a symbol of evil. The cave is mentioned in the records of the pastoral visits of Cardinals Corsini (1779-82) and Odescalchi (1833-36), who describe it as the "rural church of San Michele Arcangelo".
The origin of the small church is shrouded in mystery: the facade is in Romanesque style, while inside there are Carolingian elements, testifying to a very ancient history.
Inside the cave there is a Carolingian altar with a mosaic; a main altar with a wooden statue of St. Michael the Archangel, depicted while killing the dragon; the Ossuary of the Hermits, a natural niche that preserves skulls and bones, probably of the deceased buried here before the construction of the cemetery of Montorio in the 19th century.
The cave is protected by a wall structure with a small single-lancet window above the entrance and a window in the upper part. Access is via a mule track or a dirt path, accessible from Pozzaglia Sabina or Montorio in Valle.
Every year, on the first Sunday of May, a Holy Mass is celebrated in the cave, which is well attended by the local community. The place is also part of the Cammino di San Benedetto, a spiritual and naturalistic itinerary that crosses Sabina.
Translated by Google •
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