Santa Caterina del Sasso

The proper way to arrive at l’Eremo di Santa Caterina del Sasso (the Hermitage of Saint Catherine of the Rock) is definitely by boat. That, after all, is how Alberto Besozzi arrived here in 1170 when, during a storm, the small boat of the wealthy trader was capsized in the rough waters of Lago Maggiore. As the waves crashed against the walls of the stone cliff Alberto was saved, he was sure, by the intervention of Santa Caterina. He devoted the remainder of his life to her, living in the caves and building the first chapel on the site.

Over the centuries the chapel expanded; the buildings seem to have grown directly from the stone face of the cliff. Santa Caterina is said to have performed at least two other miracles here, the evidence of one from the 17th century is still visible in a small chapel, where a large boulder hangs dangerously over the alter, lodged there (or stopped by Santa Caterina) during a rockslide.

Inside, the monastery has recently been restored. Fragments of frescoes have been revealed. The beautiful arches and vaulted ceilings have been cleaned. Outside, fig trees, geranium, and oleander grow. Below, the blue waters of Lago Maggiore wash up against the rocks. And far off in the distance is the snow-capped peak of Monte Rosa.

Questa e’ la rara bellezza che c’e’ nel Santuario di Santa Caterina. (This is the rare beauty that is Santa Caterina.)