Eremo di Santa Maria a Cetrella, Gothic church on Mount Solaro, Anacapri, Italy
Eremo di Santa Maria a Cetrella is a Gothic church situated on a mountainside with two separate naves, one honoring the Virgin Mary and the other displaying a 16th-century painting of San Domenico. The religious complex also includes a bell tower, kitchen facilities, and residential spaces that once served as living quarters.
Founded around 1400, this religious complex emerged as a monastic settlement where Franciscan and Dominican monks lived for centuries. The establishment on the mountaintop reveals how the location served as a refuge for contemplative life.
The hermitage serves as a place where visitors and worshippers come to pray and reflect in a setting away from the bustle below. Its role as a spiritual retreat continues to draw people seeking quiet contemplation with views stretching across the sea.
Visitors can reach the hermitage via hiking trails from Anacapri or by taking the chair lift to Monte Solaro and walking down to the church. Wearing sturdy footwear is recommended due to the mountain terrain and changing weather conditions.
The protective wall surrounding the hermitage has glass fragments embedded at its top, creating an unusual defensive barrier for this remote religious site. This practical protection method was common for isolated monasteries that needed to guard against intruders.
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