The Via Micaeliche: routes and main stages

6.2 The Via Micaeliche: routes and main stages

6.2.1 - The Southern Via Micaelica: from Gargano to Campania

• The historical route from the Gargano cave to Montecassino

The Southern Via Micaelica represents the first and oldest documented micaelic itinerary in Italy. It connects the Sanctuary of St Michael on Mount Gargano, site of the first apparitions of the Archangel (5th century), to Montecassino, the centre of Benedictine monasticism founded by St Benedict in 529.

The route follows ancient Roman and medieval routes (in particular, the Via Appia-Traiana), and passes through a series of religious centres and historic towns that preserved and spread the cult of St. Michael in the Lombard era. It was trodden by pilgrims, milites and devotees seeking protection, healing or indulgences.

Montecassino was also a significant stop because it was home to manuscripts, relics and liturgical codices related to the Archangel. The journey from Monte Sant'Angelo to Montecassino lasted several days, crossing mountainous, wooded and sometimes dangerous areas, in a setting that accentuated the penitential character of the journey.

Intermediate sanctuaries and Longobard testimonies

Along the Southern Via Micaelica are numerous sanctuaries, rock churches and sacred caves, often of Lombard or early medieval origin. Among the main ones:

• San Giovanni Rotondo, a devotional destination today linked to Padre Pio but historically part of the Gargano circuit;

• Siponto, an ancient port city with the early Christian basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, in connection with the Micaelic cult;

• Bovino, site of an ancient cathedral and a Longobard transit point;

• Troy, with its Romanesque cathedral, an intermediate stop for pilgrims heading south;

• Benevento, spiritual capital of the Lombards, where Michael was venerated as patron of the people and the duchy.

Numerous rock churches preserve frescoes, graffiti and dedications to St Michael, often located in impervious places or pre-existing Christianised caves. Such archaeological evidence documents the popular and military spread of the cult along the route.

Parallel paths: the Southern Via Francigena and local variants

Over time, the Southern Via Micaelica became intertwined with other routes of faith, in particular with the Southern Via Francigena, whose southern section connected Rome to the Apulian ports of embarkation to the Holy Land (Brindisi, Otranto).

Through local variants, pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem could deviate to Monte Sant'Angelo, considered a 'heavenly gateway' before the great pilgrimage. In some areas of Apulia and Campania, the micaelico paths overlap with trattural routes, also used by transhumant shepherds, itinerant monks and wayfarers.

Today, these paths are marked and enhanced by local authorities and associations, with routes that combine nature, spirituality and archaeology.

Images

• Cave of St Michael Archangel - Monte Sant'Angelo

Interior view of the sacred grotto, heart of the micaelico sanctuary on the Gargano.

• Rock Church of San Michele delle Grotte - Gravina in Puglia

Interior of the rock church with medieval frescoes dedicated to the Archangel.

• Longobard historical re-enactment in Benevento

Event celebrating the Longobard tradition along the Via Micaelica.

Video

• The Archangel's path - From Benevento to Monte Sant'Angelo

Documentary exploring the historical and spiritual journey of the Via Micaelica.

• Pilgrimage to Monte Sant'Angelo - 2022

Video documenting a contemporary pilgrimage to the Gargano sanctuary.

Sources and references

• Cammino di San Michele - Official Guide, Terre di Mezzo Editore

• A. Capone, Il culto di San Michele nel Mezzogiorno medievale, Edizioni del Sud

• V. von Falkenhausen, Longobards and Pilgrimages, in Medieval Italy and Humanism

6.2.2 - The Via delle Alpi: from Sacra di San Michele to France

• The Susa Valley as a spiritual and geographical crossroads

The Susa Valley, in the heart of the Western Alps, has always been a natural transit corridor between Italy and France. In medieval times, the valley became a focal point not only for trade and diplomacy, but also for pilgrimages, thanks to the presence of the Sacra di San Michele, an imposing abbey built on Mount Pirchiriano between 983 and 987.

The Sacra stands majestically at the entrance to the valley as a spiritual gateway between Italy and central Europe. It was one of the main micaelic poles of the West and a key stop for pilgrims on their way to Mont-Saint-Michel, Rome or the Holy Land via the Via Francigena.

Besides the symbolic value of its location on high ground, the site benefited from the protection of the Counts of Savoy and the support of the Benedictines, who made it a beacon of culture, faith and hospitality.

Alpine pilgrimages and monastic hospitality

The often arduous and treacherous Alpine passage favoured the emergence of a monastic and welfare network to support pilgrims. Along the way were:

• Alpine hospices, such as the one at Mont Cenis, run by religious or lay communities;

• churches dedicated to St Michael in Cesana, Oulx, Exilles;

• Benedictine, Augustinian and Premonstratensian monasteries that offered shelter, care and spiritual guidance.

Devotion to the Archangel along the Alps was linked to the concept of ascent and trial, in line with the symbolism of the micaelic pilgrimage. Crossing the mountains meant facing nature, but also oneself.

The path from Turin to the Susa Valley formed a 'sacred triptych' between the sanctuaries of:

• Superga (dedicated to the Virgin),

• the Consolata (in Turin),

• and the Sacra di San Michele, the culmination of the journey.

The link with Mont-Saint-Michel and the transalpine routes

Beyond the Alps, the pilgrims continued towards the heart of central and Norman France, in the direction of Mont-Saint-Michel, the culminating point of the Michaelic 'Sacred Line'. The main routes included:

• the Via Arletanensis (Arles),

• the Via Tolosana (Toulouse),

• and the Via Lemovicensis (Limoges), which converged on the French shrine or continued on to Santiago de Compostela.

Mont-Saint-Michel was a final destination for French, English and Italian pilgrims, symbolically linked to the Sacra di San Michele and Monte Sant'Angelo, in a European triptych of the micaelic cult.

The transalpine routes were not only physical routes, but also cultural bridges, across which ideas, artistic styles, religious codes and languages travelled. The Michaelic pilgrimages thus contributed to the spiritual cohesion of medieval Europe.

Sources and references

• F. Valperga, La Sacra di San Michele tra storia e leggenda, Priuli & Verlucca

• A. Capone, Vie di San Michele in Europa, Edizioni Terra di Mezzo

• https://www.sacradisanmichele.com

• https://www.camminodisanmichele.org/

6.2.3 - Mont-Saint-Michel and the French Archangel's Paths

• The Norman sanctuary and the paths from Brittany, the Loire and the Massif Central

Mont-Saint-Michel, a tidal islet located between Normandy and Brittany, is one of the best known and most evocative shrines dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel. Its foundation is linked to an apparition of the Archangel to Abbot Aubert of Avranches in 708, and since then the mountain has become a key destination of Western Christian pilgrimage.

Mont-Saint-Michel attracted pilgrims from all over France and beyond, thanks to a well-developed network of paths that included:

• routes from western Brittany (Rennes, Vannes, Quimper),

• routes from the Loire Valley (Tours, Angers),

• routes from the Massif Central (Le Puy-en-Velay), which connected to the great routes to Santiago.

These paths were traced, often partly overlapping the Vie Romee, and dotted with churches, hospices, road crosses and small shrines dedicated to the Archangel.

The role of Benedictine monks in the devotional network

The Benedictine Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel was one of the main medieval monastic centres in Europe. The monks made it not only a place of worship, but a cultural and spiritual beacon.

They promoted:

• the copying of manuscripts and Michaelic liturgical texts;

• the construction of reliquaries and subsidiary chapels;

• the organisation of pilgrimages with free hospitality for the poor;

• the spread of the cult of Michael along the northern coasts of France, in England and the Netherlands.

Their work was fundamental in building a network of religious and cultural connections that transformed Mont-Saint-Michel into a focal point of medieval sacred geography.

Mont-Saint-Michel as a junction between the Camino de Santiago and the northern routes

Mont-Saint-Michel was not only a final destination, but also a strategic junction between the French and Iberian routes:

• From Normandy, many pilgrims made their way to the south of France along the Via Turonensis or Via Lemovicensis, and then on to Santiago de Compostela;

• others moved towards England via St. Michael's Mount, bringing the cult into the Anglo-Saxon sphere.

In the context of the 'ways of heaven', Mont-Saint-Michel has been symbolically compared to a spiritual staircase, a bridge between earth and heaven, reflected in its vertical structure and in the iconography of the Archangel fighting and guiding.

Even today, the sanctuary is one of the most visited places in France, maintaining its spiritual function alongside its cultural and tourist function.

Sources and references

• J. Leclercq, Mont-Saint-Michel: history and spirituality, Ed. Fayard

• A. Capone, La Linea Sacra: San Michele e le vie del cielo, Edizioni Terra di Mezzo

• Gallica BNF - Micaelic Codices of Avranches

• https://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com

• https://www.chemins-compostelle.com

6.2.4 - British and Nordic routes: St Michael's Mount and beyond

• Cornwall, England and the link with the micaelic cult

St Michael's Mount, a tidal islet located along the southwest coast of Cornwall, is the most important British shrine dedicated to the Archangel Michael. A symbolic brother of the French Mont- Saint-Michel, with which it shares structure and legend, it was consecrated as a sacred site as early as the early Middle Ages.

According to tradition, the Archangel appeared here to fishermen in 495 A.D., and the site became a destination for local and regional pilgrimages, especially from Devon, Cornwall and Wales. In the following centuries, Benedictine monks linked to the Norman abbey took possession of it, strengthening the link with the continental devotional network.

The mountain could be reached on foot during low tide, a symbol of the spiritual journey that requires the right time, the right path and the courage to cross the unstable element of water.

Celtic rites and local syncretisms

In the British Isles, the figure of St Michael gradually overlapped with that of ancient deities and spirits of places linked to sacred mountains, springs and megalithic stones. In Cornwall and Wales, the micaelic cult became intertwined with:

• the veneration of hills and promontories as points of energy and transit between worlds;

• the ancient symbolism of the dragon (which Michael defeats), typical of Celtic mythologies;

• rituals of harvest protection, fertility and seasonal transitions.

St Michael was therefore embraced as a warrior-spirit protector of the earth, in continuity with the function of Celtic deities such as Lugh or Taranis. His iconography often retained local elements: curved sword, raven wings, posture similar to that of pagan heroes.

Legends and sacred paths in the British Isles

Numerous local legends link St Michael's to ley lines connecting megalithic sites, dolmens, medieval churches and sacred springs. One of the best known is the so-called 'Michael Line', a straight line linking St Michael's Mount, Glastonbury, Avebury, and other locations in the south of England to the east coast.

Some of these places, such as:

• Brentor Church (Devon),

• Burrow Mump (Somerset),

• Mount Saint Michael's Chapel (Anglesey),

are still today the destination of walks and re-evocations. These are minor and often solitary paths, linked to silence, nature and a deeply meditative and intuitive spirituality.

The micaelic cult in Britain, though less structured than on the continent, has left a lasting impression in place names, liturgical calendars and the collective perception of the Archangel as guardian of thresholds and guide of inner passages.

Sources and references

• N. Harpur, The Michael Line: Sacred Geography in Britain, Gothic Image

• R. Hutton, Pagan Britain, Yale University Press

• St Michael's Mount official website: https://www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk

• BBC Travel - The English island accessible by foot

• Ancient Origins - The Sacred Michael Line

6.2.5 - Ireland's micaelic paths: Skellig Michael and the routes of silence

• Hermitic spirituality and isolation as a form of pilgrimage

In early Celtic Christianity, pilgrimage was understood not only as a movement to a holy place, but as a radical detachment from the world, an experience of voluntary exile.

(peregrinatio pro Christo) that aimed at the transformation of the soul through silence, solitude and asceticism.

Skellig Michael, the rocky island off the southwest coast of Ireland, perfectly embodies this vision. Here, starting in the 6th century, Irish monks built a vertiginous monastery, clinging to craggy peaks, where they lived in extreme conditions to seek communion with God.

The pilgrimage to Skellig was not only geographical: it was an initiatory journey, a path of purification in the dimension of absolute silence and renunciation. Every step, every step, every storm faced to reach the island took on symbolic and existential value.

The monastery on the ocean: symbol of the soul's extreme journey

Skellig Michael is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered one of the most remote Christian monastic settlements in the world. Its monastery, built more than 200 metres above sea level, consisted of:

• dry stone cells (clocháns), similar to beehives;

• an oratorical church;

• stairs carved into the living rock, a symbol of inner ascent;

• a monastic cemetery exposed to the elements.

The place represents the extreme border of medieval civilisation and spirituality, and the journey to reach it was experienced as a true penitential act, a 'dying to the world' in order to be reborn in the spirit.

Skellig became a model for many other coastal Irish settlements and has been at the centre of legends related to St. Michael, who was considered the protector of the island and the souls of the monks who lived there.

The culture of the penitential journey in Celtic Christianity

In the early medieval Irish context, pilgrimage was part of a worldview deeply connected to nature, cosmic cycles and sacred geography. The idea of the penitential path included:

• voluntary exile (anima peregrinans);

• sailing aimlessly (journey into the unknown by faith);

• the renunciation of possessions and name (identity annulled in the will of God).

Ireland's micaelic paths often overlapped with pre-Christian sites, and in many cases St Michael took the place of ancient local deities. They can still be found along the coasts and mountains of Ireland:

• rock altars;

• crosses engraved on megalithic stones;

• sacred sources dedicated to the Archangel.

Skellig Michael remains the most powerful symbol of this 'uncompromising' Christianity, where the

physical and spiritual path merge to become one.

Video

• The Edge of Europe - The story of Skellig Michael Ireland

A documentary film exploring the history and spirituality of the UNESCO World Heritage island of Skellig Michael.

• Visiting Skellig Michael / Sceilg Mhichíl UNESCO World Heritage Site

A video that gives an overview of the island and its monastic structures, with practical information for visitors.

Sources and references

• M. Ní Mhaonaigh, Saints and Scholars in Early Medieval Ireland, Four Courts Press

• T. Charles-Edwards, Early Christian Ireland, Cambridge University Press

• UNESCO World Heritage - Skellig Michael: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/757

• Ireland.com - Pilgrimage in Ireland:

6.2.6 - Towards the East: the micaelic cult in the Byzantine Empire

• The Michaelion and the sanctuaries of Asia Minor

The cult of the Archangel Michael also has deep roots in the Christian East, where it developed into autonomous liturgical and devotional forms from the earliest centuries. One of the oldest and most important Eastern shrines is the Michaelion, founded in the 4th century by Constantine the Great at Sosthenion, near Constantinople.

This shrine was the prototype of many other Byzantine Micaelic places of worship, characterised by:

• central plan buildings with domes;

• miraculous sources associated with healing;

• mosaics and icons depicting Michael as a celestial leader, healer and psychopomp

(guide of souls).

In Asia Minor, numerous sanctuaries arose in regions such as:

• Phrygia (Colossi, Chonai - ancient Colosse);

• Bithynia (near Nicaea);

• Galatia and Cappadocia, areas of fervent ascetic spirituality.

Eastern devotional paths: thaumaturgical sources and liturgy

Unlike in the West, where pilgrimage was often linked to penance and the physical journey, forms of pilgrimage developed in the Byzantine Empire that were more linked to liturgy and thaumaturgy.

Many micaelic shrines stood next to water sources considered miraculous. The most famous were:

• sources in Chonai, where a liturgy dedicated to the healing archangel was celebrated;

• the fountain of Michaelion, a centre of pilgrimage and healing during epidemics.

The pilgrimage took place in ritual form, with processions, immersions, prayers and vigils. The feast of the Archangel Michael (8 November) was celebrated throughout the Byzantine East with solemn liturgical rites, hymns and sacred readings. The homilies of St Basil and St John Chrysostom contributed to the spread of the cult in the theological sphere.

Connections between Michaelic pilgrimages and pilgrimages to Jerusalem

The position of the Byzantine Empire favoured a direct connection between the Micael pilgrimages and those to Jerusalem, the holiest goal of Christianity. From Constantinople, Antioch and Tyre, many faithful undertook the journey to the Holy Sepulchre, passing through:

• the micaelic shrines of Anatolia;

• the ports of Syria and Palestine;

• the Sinai desert, a place also linked to the Archangel as protector and guide.

Some late antique texts speak of angelic apparitions near the Holy Sepulchre, and altars dedicated to St Michael were built in several churches in Jerusalem to protect the Holy City.

In this way, the Micaelic cult in the East became integrated into the wider system of Byzantine sacred pilgrimages, helping to create a universal image of the Archangel as defender of the faith and guide of pilgrims.

Sources and references

• S. Ashbrook-Harvey, Asceticism and Society in Crisis: John of Ephesus and the Lives of Eastern Saints

• R. Ousterhout, Eastern Medieval Architecture, Oxford University Press

• The Byzantine Legacy - https://www.thebyzantinelegacy.com

• OCA (Orthodox Church in America) - Miracle at Chonai

• Wikipedia - Michaelion, Chonae, St Michael in the Christian East

6.2.7 - Contemporary networks: marked paths and European circuits

• Modern hiking networks and signposting of the micaelico paths

In recent decades, the micaelico paths have been the subject of intense recovery, tracing and signalling activities, as part of the broader phenomenon of historical and spiritual paths in Europe.

Local associations, religious bodies and public administrations have created structured routes that retrace ancient paths or reinterpret them according to cultural, environmental and tourism criteria. Among the best known are:

• the Cammino di San Michele in Italy, which connects the Gargano to the Val di Susa;

• the French Via Micaelica, from Mont-Saint-Michel to the Loire Valley;

• the British circuits around St Michael's Mount and Glastonbury.

Modern signage, inspired by the symbolism of the Archangel (wings, sword, star or 'M'), accompanies pilgrims along itineraries that combine nature, history, faith and meditation.

e¡ European cultural and spiritual enhancement projects

On a continental level, the micaelico paths have been included in cross-border cultural cooperation projects, including:

• The European Via Micaelica, a network linking the main Micael shrines from Ireland to Mount Carmel;

• Council of Europe initiatives on European Cultural Routes, following the model of the Via Francigena and the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago;

• collaborations with UNESCO, FAI and slow tourism networks. These projects aim to:

• to protect and enhance the material and non-material heritage linked to the cult of St Michael;

• promote sustainable and inclusive tourism;

• create information materials, guides and apps for walkers, spiritual tourists and families.

Pilgrimage today: experiences, infrastructure, hospitality

The contemporary Michaelic pilgrimage has become a plural experience, in which dimensions coexist:

• spiritual (soul searching, faith, rites of passage),

• cultural (history, art, archaeology),

• excursions (nature, sport, wellness). Today there are:

• dedicated accommodation facilities (religious hospitality, pilgrim houses, refuges),

• technical assistance for stages, transport, stamps and credentials,

• online and local communities that accompany travellers along the way.

The modern pilgrim can choose short or long walks, individual or group experiences, participate in events, festivals, or simply be guided by the slow pace of walking.

The micaelico paths, ancient and new, thus return to be spaces of encounter, breath and meaning, rediscovering their original function: to unite heaven and earth, man and horizon, time and eternity.

Video

• The Way of St Michael and beyond

A documentary film exploring the European route of the Camino di San Michele, with a focus on the Sacra di San Michele in the Susa Valley.

• Saint Michael's Paths - Interview with Sandro Vannucci

Interview with Sandro Vannucci, President of the 'San Michele Cammino dei Cammini' Promoting Committee, who discusses the importance and development of the micaelico paths.

Sources and references

• St Michael's Path - https://www.camminodisanmichele.org/

• Vie Francigene d'Europa - https://www.viefrancigene.org

• Council of Europe - Cultural Routes Programme

• A. Capone, Cammini micaelici e spiritualità europea, Ed. Terra di Mezzo

• F. Ferraris, Geography of the Italian Cammini, Touring Club

6.2 The Via Micaeliche: routes and main stages

6.2.1 - The Southern Via Micaelica: from Gargano to Campania

• The historical route from the Gargano cave to Montecassino

Intermediate sanctuaries and Longobard testimonies

Parallel paths: the Southern Via Francigena and local variants

Recommended multimedia content

Images

Video

Sources and references

6.2.2 - The Via delle Alpi: from Sacra di San Michele to France

• The Susa Valley as a spiritual and geographical crossroads

Alpine pilgrimages and monastic hospitality

The link with Mont-Saint-Michel and the transalpine routes

Recommended multimedia content

Images

Video

Sources and references

6.2.3 - Mont-Saint-Michel and the French Archangel's Paths

• The Norman sanctuary and the paths from Brittany, the Loire and the Massif Central

The role of Benedictine monks in the devotional network

Mont-Saint-Michel as a junction between the Camino de Santiago and the northern routes

Recommended multimedia content

Images

Video

Sources and references

6.2.4 - British and Nordic routes: St Michael's Mount and beyond

• Cornwall, England and the link with the micaelic cult

Celtic rites and local syncretisms

Legends and sacred paths in the British Isles

Recommended multimedia content

Images

Video

Sources and references

6.2.5 - Ireland's micaelic paths: Skellig Michael and the routes of silence

• Hermitic spirituality and isolation as a form of pilgrimage

The monastery on the ocean: symbol of the soul's extreme journey

The culture of the penitential journey in Celtic Christianity

Recommended multimedia content

Images

Video

Sources and references

6.2.6 - Towards the East: the micaelic cult in the Byzantine Empire

• The Michaelion and the sanctuaries of Asia Minor

Eastern devotional paths: thaumaturgical sources and liturgy

Connections between Michaelic pilgrimages and pilgrimages to Jerusalem

Recommended multimedia content

Images

Video

Sources and references

6.2.7 - Contemporary networks: marked paths and European circuits

• Modern hiking networks and signposting of the micaelico paths

Pilgrimage today: experiences, infrastructure, hospitality

Recommended multimedia content

Images

Video

Sources and references