Eremo di Cerbaiolo, Religious hermitage in Pieve Santo Stefano, Italy.
The Eremo di Cerbaiolo is a hermitage and church building set in the forested hills of the Alta Valtiberina in Tuscany. The complex sits on a hillside surrounded by dense woodland that separates it from the valley below.
The hermitage was founded in 706 by the Lombard nobleman Tedaldo, who had it built for his daughter after her conversion to Christianity. Over the following centuries, Benedictine monks and later Franciscan friars occupied the site before leaving it in the late 18th century.
The hermitage sits along the Via di Francesco, a pilgrimage route connecting Assisi to La Verna that passes through dense woodland. Walkers on this path follow the same trails that Franciscan pilgrims have used for centuries.
The hermitage is reached on foot along a woodland trail that requires sturdy shoes and a moderate level of fitness. Visiting outside the hottest summer months makes the walk more comfortable.
During World War II, the hermitage became the site of fighting between German forces and local resistance fighters, causing serious damage to the medieval buildings. The restoration work that followed uncovered earlier construction phases that had not been previously documented.
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