ST MICHAEL HERMITAGE

The Saint Michael Hermitage in Tremosine is a place with a strong spirituality and mysticism. It is currently entrusted to the Franciscan friars, but its origin is very ancient. The position in which it is situated is indicative of the circumstances that led this church to be built and become over time one of the most charming places of lakeside devotion. The sanctuary is in fact situated near a mule track in the valley of Saint Michael at the foot of Mount Tremalzo in the Alto Garda Bresciano Park. Some hypotheses trace this place back to the Lombardic period, Saint Michael the Archangel was, in fact, employed by these people as their protector after his conversion to Christianity occurred in the eighth century AD. It should be noted, however, that once these areas were mostly inhabited by coal miners and workers of the forges, people who used fire, for which St Michael was of particular importance, It was, therefore, probably also linked to this fact of intense devotion, the dedication of the church to the patron of those who, for work, he was obliged to use fire. However, even the St Michael Hermitage has undergone several changes over time. The sanctuary is in fact a single hall with a polygonal apsidal termination but the small church in question dates back to the twelfth century. This can be determined by analysing the wall that allows you to see the presence of a use of a more ancient building technique than the one used to create the current church, dating from the fourteenth century instead. Dating the church back to the late medieval period also contributes to the findings of some ceramics belonging to this period. In 1679, the hermitage was then added to the church, which still exists, by the work of a priest from Verona, Florenio Feliberi who lived and died here. (credits Arianna Florioli)