About
On Mount Scalambra, a modest hermitage was constructed close to what some consider to be a miraculous Benedictine handprint.
Halfway between the medieval town of Serrone (738 meters above sea level) and the peak of Mount Scalambra, along a steep hike through the holm oak woods, there is a small stone hermitage. The Hermitage of Saint Michael stands directly against a rocky cliff with an extraordinary view over the valley below (1105 meters above sea level). Local documentation has shown that it was run by the order of the Benedictines based in nearby Subiaco. They identified the site with a local tradition, which holds that Saint Benedict meditated in this specific spot in the company of three crows who showed him the path. An imprint of Saint Michael’s hand is believed to appear on the rock nearby. Other traditions associated with the hermitage involve its patron saint, Saint Michael, and his struggle against the Devil.
