Middle-age hermitages of Gargano: a wonder of the world

The Pulsano hermitages is one of the wonders not only of Apulia, but of the entire world.

Located in the hearth of Gargano, between Manfredonia and Monte Sant’Angelo, the hermitages are 24, spread all around the abbey of Pulsano.

The abbey was erected in 591, above the ruins of a Pagan temple dedicated to Calcante, a Greek seer.

Then, the Saracens destroyed it.

In 1129, San Giovanni da Matera, who went pilgrim to Monte Sant’Angelo to pray San Michele Arcangelo, saw Pulsano and fell in love with it.

Pulsano reminded him of Matera, a town of Sassi and rupestrian churches.

Therefore, San Giovanni da Matera built a Romanico-Pugliese abbey.

Then, after having created the ordine degli eremiti Pulsanesi, he let the monks populate the abbey as well as the hermitages.

In tiny hermitages, the monks used to contemplate God.

It is said that the Pope Celestino V and San Francesco d’Assisi  had been in one of the hermitages named San Michele.

The monks used to alternate the status of hermit with that of cultivating the soil and praying all together.

The hermitages were interconnected to each other by stairs and paths.

Moreover, the water collected was canalized to few hermitages.

One of the hermitages was even dedicated to grind wheat up. Indeed, it is called eremo mulino.

In 1966, the Byzantine icon of the Holy Mary has been smuggled. Since then, we have no news of it.

Last year, I took part to an event promoted by Pro Valloni Garganici onlus, led by the passionate Angelo Torre.

Almost 100 volunteers gathered in Monte Sant’Angelo.

We carried out tools and lime to re-build the wall of the studion hermitage.

The studion Hermitage is a complex of small hermitages. It is probably the most fascinating among the others.

I remember I walked for miles.

The atmosphere here is just unbelievably calm and peaceful.

We climbed down till the valley floor. Then, we reached the studion hermitage by climbing stairs.

I help myself with a rope.

The monks must have been incredibly fit.

The studion hermitage is huge.

Inside are still visible paints. 

Intact it’s their evocative power.

In 2010, FAI promoted an initiative i luoghi del cuore.

The Pulsano hermitages had got more than 34.000 votes, becoming the first one in this special parade.

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