Santa Caterina del Sasso — Attraction in Unione dei comuni del Medio Verbano

Eremo di Santa Caterina is a beautiful monastery located in Varese, Italy. The monastery was built in the 14th century and is located on a hill overlooking the city of Varese. The Eremo di Santa Caterina is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, and it is easy to see why. The location is stunning, the building is beautiful, and the history is fascinating.

Arriving at the Eremo is relatively easy. If you are coming from Milan, you can take a train to Varese and then take a taxi or bus to the monastery. The journey takes approximately 1 hour by train from Milan to Varese. Once you arrive at the monastery, you will need to walk up a steep hill to reach the entrance, so be prepared for some exercise.

The Eremo di Santa Caterina is open to visitors every day of the week except Mondays. The entrance fee is 5 euros for adults and 4 euros for children under the age of 14. The fee does not includes a guided tour of the monastery. Maybe there are guided tours available in both Italian and English, so language should not be a barrier.

During the tour, visitors will learn about the history of the monastery and the life of the nuns who lived there. The tour includes a visit to the church, the cloister, the garden, and the cells where the nuns lived.

The monastery itself is stunning. The architecture is beautiful, and the views from the hilltop location are breathtaking. The garden is particularly impressive, and visitors can relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. The cells where the nuns lived are small but well-preserved, and visitors can get a sense of what life was like for the nuns who lived there. You can look at the Stresa archipelago with Bella and Mother islands always in the background.

Overall, the Eremo is a must-visit destination for anyone traveling to Varese or the surrounding area. The location is stunning, the building is beautiful, and the history is fascinating. The entrance fee is reasonable, and the guided tour is informative and enjoyable. The monastery is an easy day trip from Milan, and it is well worth the...

Santa Caterina Is one of the gems of Lago Maggorie. If you are near the lake, make sure to visit this church. It is a "miracle"...literally.

This is of northern Italy's most spectacularly sited monasteries,

You can reach the church via car or ferry boat. It lies between Arolo and Reno if you drive or is 20 minutes by boat from Stresa.

The steps up and down are a nice workout, but they also have an elevator.

The area just south of the church is popular with local boaters to swim. Just note that the current and undertow in the area can be quite strong. So please use extreme care and safety if you swim off a boat in this area.

History of the building: In 1170, a rich merchant named Alberto Besozzi, was sailing on the lake and found himself in the middle of a violent storm. He begged for his life by invoking the help of Santa Caterina. (His mummified body is on display in a glass case within the hermitage.)

His life was saved when the storm shipwrecked his sail boat on the rocks next to a cave (the site of the chapel)

As a result of being saved, he kept the vow he had made to Saint Catherine snd gave up all his wealth and material belongings (Matthew, 19:24) and spent the rest of his life living as a hermit in the cave at the site of the chapel and dedicating his life to God.

The inhabitants of the neighbouring areas began to worship Saint Catherine and the blessed Hermit, and as a sign of devotion they built some chapels in the place...

Amazing place. Really beautiful setting. Unfortunately boats weren't running but we drove and parked at the car park above. Stairs weren't too onerous and although there are a lot, they have such beautiful views over Lake Maggiore that you can stop regularly and take in the scenery. Once inside, there's not a lot to see but what there is, is fascinating, the whole history, the chapel itself and the body are at the end of the brief walk but you can take your time. It was very quiet when we went in mid March and it was very quiet with possibly a dozen people there. The little gift shop has a few foodie things and there's the option to choose other pieces such as rosary beads, keychains etc for a donation. As we had quite a long day and we'd walked a lot the few previous days we decided to take the lift back up. For the sake of a Euro each it's...