Visiting the Hermitage of San Michele Arcangelo in the Liscia area is truly a beautiful experience of peace and tranquility, not only for lovers of religious tourism, but also for those who find a strong attraction in nature.
The Hermitage, in fact, was built in a context characterized by hills full of vegetation in an area rich in greenery and water near the Treste river.
By visiting the church, you will have direct access to the ancient cave (entering the church the cave is on your left). The cave has a width of about 3 meters and a depth of 10. Entering, on the right side, you will find a niche carved into the rock that houses a basin where, drop by drop, you can see water considered sacred by the faithful.
On the left, before they were walled up, there were two tunnels that led to the part where the hermits lived.
The construction of the church took place at the beginning of the eighteenth century on the will of the Marquis D’Avalos who wanted to give a way to welcome the many faithful who visited the sacred cave.
Days and opening hours
The church and the cave are practically always open during all days and during the day. But, if you want to be sure to find it open, we recommend that you contact the Municipality of Liscia (comunediliscia@libero.it
333 1959209). Mass is celebrated from May to September, on Sundays at 5pm.
How much does the access cost?
Access to the church and the ancient cave is free.
How to get there?
There are practically two roads that can take you to this sanctuary. For those coming from outside the region, the most convenient is certainly along the Strada statale 650 di Fondo Valle Trigno (Trignina) which connects Vasto-San Salvo with Isernia. Whether you are coming from the coast or from the interior, you must take the Palmoli exit and then follow the signs for the sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo.
But we also recommend an alternative: take the Provincial Road 212 which starts from Vasto, continues to Vastoand, through Vasto, takes you to the Sanctuary. This second hypothesis is certainly less direct, but will allow you to get to know and delight the view with Vasto and Vasto that become like paintings especially during the Vastoand Vasto period.
Update
During our visit and at the date of publication of this article, we met some people who worked to secure a short path that leads from the sanctuary to a small waterfall fed with the same water that feeds the cave. In the vicinity of the small waterfall (which can be heard as far as the church) there are also some tables for picnics.
Photo by Roberto De Ficis. Join Viaggiando Abruzzo to see more photos and to send yours.
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