Photography: Sacra di San Michele

Taken on 2026-08-23

This incredible religious complex dedicated to St. Michael began being built in the 10th century and sits on top of a mountain overlooking the valleys near the city of Turin, in northern Italy.

I was unable to capture the views of it from further below, but it’s even more majestic.

The medieval abbey of Sacra di San Michele in Piedmont, its stone walls and tower built directly onto a rocky mountain outcrop, with visitors viewing from the terrace above.Visitors walking through the ruined stone tower of the Sacra di San Michele abbey, known as the Torre della Bell'Alda, with sweeping views of the Piedmont valley beyond.An information plaque at Sacra di San Michele telling, in Italian and English, the legend of the Torre della Bell'Alda: a village girl named Alda, fleeing enemy soldiers, jumped from the tower and survived unharmed after invoking Saint Michael and the Virgin, but died when she vainly tried to repeat the jump to prove the miracle to disbelieving villagers. Illustrated with a photo of the tower at dusk.

About my Photography

I'm no professional, but sometimes I like to capture the world around me. Sometimes, the photos turn out pretty nice. All pictures taken with an iPhone 15 Pro.

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