Two of Seven

The sacred line of San Michele

[Tripper: Paola]

IT

Legend has it that the archangel Michael defeated the devil with a sword stroke. Since then he became, for all religions, the warrior commander of the celestial militias, defender of good.
In his honor, places of worship were erected throughout Europe, at different times, starting with the Basilica of Constantinople built by the Emperor Constantine in 313 AD. to continue everywhere. Everyone knows the famous Mont Saint Michel in Normandy (a region in the North of France), but this is echoed by several other places

St Michael Mount

Marina

If you travel to Cornwall do not miss the English twin St. Michael's Mount, where it is said that the Archangel appeared, in 495, to a group of fishermen, well before visiting fishermen across the Channel, which only happened in 708.
However, it was the French Benedictines of Mont Saint Michel themselves who built the monastery titled to San Michele here.
The island of St. Michael's Mount is located opposite the town of Marazion, where you can leave your car. It can be reached on foot, when the tide is low, or by boat when the waters surround it. And yes, because like its French twin, St. Michael's Mount is a tidal island, that is, connected to the mainland by a sandy tongue, paved with stone. Looking very carefully, along the pedestrian crossing, you will see a heart-shaped stone. It is the heart of the giant Cormoran, which an English fairy tale describes as the villain of the story. It is said that the giant stole livestock from all the inhabitants, terrifying them, but was defeated, thanks to the cunning of a boy named Jack, who wanted to keep his heart in plain sight.
Those with children can play with them, challenging them in their search for the heart, stimulating them to imagine how this winged giant could be done.
Before entering the village, the embrace of the small harbor welcomes you. Boats without water are placed on their sides.
In this place, steeped in stories, 30 residents still live today who work together to keep everything in order. Lose yourself in its alleys and appreciate its gardens with aeonium and agapanthus plants, which you would not imagine finding at these latitudes. But the waters around the island are crossed by the Gulf Stream and create a microclimate that favors the growth of plants typical of subtropical climates.
Look out over the walls to breathe in the sea air and let your imagination carry you away to connect with the Sacred Line of San Michele.
This place is in fact arranged on a straight line that connects six other European locations where there are monasteries dedicated to the saint, from Ireland to Israel, passing near Turin, where the Sacra di San Michele stands, the place where ideally Umberto Eco set his famous novel “The Name of the Rose”.
It is said that this straight line reproduces the blow of the sword that sent Satan back to the underworld.
Whether it is suggestion or not, there remains an aura of mystery that makes these places mystical anyway. Who knows if any of you have already visited them all or if you have put the cross next to at least part of them. At the moment, we are stuck at three out of seven, but there is still a long way to go, and it is not difficult to imagine being able to cross them all, sooner or later.
Have a good trip!