Santa Caterina del Sasso, Catholic hermitage in Leggiuno, Italy
Santa Caterina del Sasso is a monastery complex clinging to a steep rock face above Lago Maggiore in the municipality of Leggiuno, Lombardy. Three connected buildings form a long linear ensemble with white walls and arched walkways clearly visible from the water.
A merchant named Alberto Besozzi founded the site in the 12th century as thanks for his rescue from a storm and dedicated it to Saint Catherine. Dominican friars and later other orders expanded the buildings over the following centuries until secularization in the 19th century ended monastic life.
The name connects Saint Catherine of Alexandria to the Italian word for a rough rocky outcrop jutting directly into the water. Local boaters and fishermen today still use the small landing stage that has welcomed pilgrims and visitors arriving by water for centuries.
Visitors reach the site on foot via a long stairway from the upper parking area or by elevator that bridges the elevation difference. Ferry boats dock at a dedicated pier below the monastery and provide a relaxed approach directly from the lake.
In the early 18th century five large boulders broke free from the slope and became wedged directly above the church roof in an arched formation. These stones remained there for over a century before they were eventually removed, never damaging the building beneath.
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