From Turin: Half-Day Tour of the Medieval Sacra di San Michele

A Medieval Icon Perched Between Earth and Sky

Half a day, one extraordinary place. The Sacra di San Michele is the official symbol of the Region of Piedmont and one of Europe's most beautiful Romanesque buildings, perched on a rocky spur overlooking the Val di Susa.

Setting off from Turin in a private coach with an expert multilingual guide, you'll explore the abbey that inspired Umberto Eco's bestseller The Name of the Rose and the film with Sean Connery and Christian Slater.

What you'll see at the Sacra di San Michele

After the transfer from Turin, you'll climb the 243 steps to reach the splendid Porta dello Zodiaco, a 12th-century masterpiece carved with putti pulling each other's hair, signs of the zodiac and stunning sculptural detail.

Inside, the steep Scala dei Morti rises around an 18-metre pillar that supports the church floor, while the Torre della Bell'Alda tells one of the abbey's most famous legends.

From the terrace, the view sweeps over the Val di Susa and the Via Francigena, an unforgettable image to take home before the return to Turin.