Eremo di Grottafucile, Medieval hermitage in Monte Revellone, Italy.
The Grottafucile hermitage is a monastic settlement carved into natural caves, featuring individual living spaces, a shared courtyard, and a water well within the mountain. It sits at roughly 380 meters above sea level on Monte Revellone and can be reached by walking trails through the surrounding regional park.
The site was founded in 1227 as a religious retreat by someone seeking distance from church conflicts, and later a Gothic church dedicated to Mary was built in 1256. This transition marked the shift from a solitary sanctuary into an organized monastic community with architectural development.
The site represents a retreat for solitary religious life, showing how monks chose to live apart from larger communities in remote locations. Visitors today can see how the natural caves were adapted into spaces for prayer and contemplation.
Wear sturdy hiking shoes and bring plenty of water, as the trails leading to the caves cross rough mountain terrain. It helps to check trail markers and parking locations before visiting, since access depends entirely on walking through the nature reserve.
The name refers to ancient fires that shepherds lit inside the caves, visible from distant settlements across the landscape. These beacon flames marked the location long before monks established their religious community there.
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