Anyone who has traveled at least once the highway 77 in the surroundings of Pale – a hamlet of Foligno, in Umbria – will surely have noticed it. It appears almost suddenly, among the rough boulders of the Sasso di Pale, nestled in the rock: protected by a natural ravine, The hermitage of Santa Maria Giacobbe It reveals itself suddenly, like an apparition. He seems to have observed, in silence, for centuries. No flashy sign, no asphalted road that leads to the threshold, only a steep and not very visible path, marked by fourteen stations of the Via Crucis.
An extraordinary place
It has been there for at least 1295. It is in that year that it appears for the first time in a census of the diocese of Foligno. Then as today, in a discreet way. Nobody seems to want to advertise too much his presence, perhaps because the restless charm, his remote position and the aura of holiness from which he is surrounded have always kept the curious away.
Going back to the hermitage is an experience that has little to do with brochure tourism. From the town square, take an uphill road that runs alongside the mountain, walk for about an hour, along a path that becomes more and more impervious, until you reach the 525 meters above sea level. Up there, the panorama repays every effort: the valley opens like a curtain, and silence takes possession of thought.
In front of you a small church stands out, with a simple facade, a full arch door and an almost invisible window, while a sailing bell tower stands out on the roof. A tile, an almost negligible detail, carries the year 1712, when a restoration was performed, even if the place of the place is much older.
The heart of the sanctuary opens inside the rock, with the apse carved directly in the mountain. The frescoes that decorate the walls tell stories of faith, but also of pain, hope and miracles. Some are votive, others ornamental, but all, even the simplest, speak a language of great faith.
Between religious and mysticism
The frescoed vault reveals the hand of an artist near the Sienese school. In the center, a Christ Pantocrator Blessing, with the sacred book in hand, surrounded by angels who play instruments of the time. Time has discolored the tones, but did not delete the spiritual strength of the scene.
Just beyond, on the right, A fresco depicts a Nativitywith the Madonna lying on a decorated carpet and Giuseppe Seduto, absorbed, with a pilgrim stick. Nearby, Santa Maria Giacobbe witnesses the birth of the child, deposed in a cup in the shape of a glass. A scene outside the usual canons, which affects for its intensity. Next, shepherds and flocks, portrayed with almost ethnographic care.
On the opposite wall, another touching scene: the Dormitio Virginis. Mary lies on the death bed, while Christ crowns her, dropping a belt towards St. Thomas, once again skeptical. The episode, taken from the apocryphal gospels, could be the work of Cola di PetruccioloGiottesco painter active between Foligno and Orvieto.
Other frescoes, older, emerge behind the altar. Three sacred figures – Santa Lucia, San Luca and the same Santa Maria Giacobbe – emerge directly from the rock. On the entrance, St. Cristoforo with the child in the armsprotector of the pilgrims who traveled the Lauretana via. Below, Sant’Agata and San Sebastiano. Two kneeling clients ask for protection: she, for breast milk; He, against the plague.
And again: A Madonna on the throne, majestic, who breastfeeds the child. Santa Maria Maddalena, with the face veiled by her long hair, represented in penance. And a mysterious image, the holy face of Lucca: a Christ dressed, with his feet immersed in two different glasses, symbol of the ancient and the new will, perhaps the most enigmatic among the frescoes.
Above, on the vault, a Blessing Christ surrounded by angelswhile on the dividing wall of the sixteenth century they appear San Carlo Borromeo, Sant’Antonio da Padova, Santa Maria Maddalena and Santa Messalina. The central opening allows you to see, even from afar, the icon of Santa Maria Giacobbe.
Once, The hermits lived inside these walls. The rooms were modest: a kitchen, a room now transformed into a small ex vote museum. In a corner of the rock, a cistern gathered the rainwater and still today, some pilgrim takes a sip, convinced of its virtue.
Devotion for Santa Maria Giacobbe, according to some recent research, could have distant roots. TO Veilin Lazio, a similar place stands, linked to the cult of Santa Maria Salome and it is assumed that the two figures could coincide. The Elisei family, a noble house of Pale, would have brought devotion to its homeland. Perhaps, behind the construction of the hermitage, there is precisely this now forgotten bond.
Information for travelers
Visiting the hermitage today is not simple, since it is not open to the public continuously. To enter, You need to book at least three days in advance. A local guide accompanies visitors to the established time. Comfortable clothing, shoes with non -slip sole and a good supply of water is recommended. In the summer months, it is better to avoid the hottest hours.
An unmissable visit
Because the threshold is crossed, you leave the world behind and you enter a dimension where art speaks with the voice of the faith, where the mountain protects and houses, and where beauty hides behind silence. For centuries, The hermitage of Santa Maria Giacobbe has lived away from the spotlighthas remained a place for a few, for those looking for, more than a panorama, the meaning of life. And for those who have the courage to stop, listen and – perhaps – understand.
A therapeutic sanctuary, a refuge of the soul, a forgotten monastery that, now that you know it, will be difficult to forget.
For more information, we leave you on the official website.
