Eremo di Poggio Conte, Gothic hermitage in Ischia di Castro, Italy
Eremo di Poggio Conte is a hermitage with a church carved into tuff rock within the Fiora River valley, featuring pillars, an altar, and a bishop's throne at its center. The tuff stone was skillfully used by builders to create an interior space that merges the mountain and the sanctuary.
The site was first documented in 1027 and stood in a disputed region between the Papal States and Tuscany. During the Middle Ages, it maintained links with the Templar Knights.
The internal chapel displays geometric and colored ornaments on its dome and cross vaults, left behind by medieval artists. These painted motifs remain visible and reveal how monks decorated their religious space.
Parking is available at Provincial Road 109, from where a marked trail leads through oak forests to the site. The walk covers roughly two kilometers and runs near the Fiora River, so proper shoes and basic fitness are helpful.
Near the cliffs, Etruscan chamber tombs are carved into the stone, which monks later converted for their meditation chambers. These burial sites show how the ground was seen as holy across many centuries.
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