Description of the attraction
The Sanctuary of Michael the Archangel is one of the most ancient places of pilgrimage to Michael the Archangel in Europe. This natural cave, located on Monte Gargano in the Foggia province of the Italian region of Apulia, has been known since the 5th century. Even in ancient times, Monte Gargano was revered by the locals as a holy mountain, there were two temples on it - one was dedicated to the hero Poladerius, and the second to the soothsayer from Colchis, Calchas. Well, in the 5th century pilgrims began to come here, heading from Rome to Jerusalem, and this was due to the appearances of the believers of the Archangel Michael.
The first phenomenon occurred in 490: a local peasant lost a bull and, after a long search, found it kneeling in front of the cave entrance. He tried to lure the bull, but the stubborn animal refused to budge, and then the peasant shot an arrow at him. As the legend says, the arrow turned halfway and hit the shooter himself. The story of this immediately spread throughout the surrounding area, and after a couple of days the bishop of the city of Siponto appeared in the cave, who saw the Archangel Michael, who informed him that this cave was sacred and that a temple had to be built in it.
Three years later, in 493, the city of Siponto was under siege and was on the verge of defeat. The same bishop prayed earnestly for the salvation of the townspeople for three days, and again the Archangel Michael appeared to him, who predicted victory over the enemies. Inspired by such a prediction, the inhabitants of Siponto, indeed, defeated the enemy troops. Since then, May 8 is considered the Catholic holiday "The Appearance of the Archangel Michael".
Finally, the third apparition of the archangel occurred in the same year 493, when Bishop Siponto decided to consecrate a temple in a cave on Mount Gargano. However, Archangel Michael informed him that he himself had personally consecrated that church. Indeed, the inhabitants of Siponto who went to the cave found an altar and a cross there. Precisely because, according to legend, this church was consecrated by an angel, it is often called the Heavenly Basilica.
Today, when approaching the sanctuary of Michael the Archangel, visitors first of all see the chapel, built by order of Emperor Frederick II and rebuilt at the end of the 13th century by Charles I of Anjou. It is a 4-storey building 27 meters high. The entrance to the cave is preceded by a 13-14th century portico with a pediment and Gothic arches. The central portal was made in the 20th century, the right one in 1395, and the left one in 1865. Inside the cave itself there is a staircase of 86 steps, also made by Charles of Anjou, which ends at the Gate of the Bull in the middle of the 17th century. They got their name as a reminder of the first appearance of Michael the Archangel. Behind the gate there is a courtyard with sarcophagi of some famous personalities, and the cave itself begins behind it. The entrance to the cave is closed by bronze doors made by Byzantine craftsmen in the 11th century. They are divided into 24 panels and are decorated with images of Bible stories.
Inside, the sanctuary consists of a main brick nave, into which a Byzantine gate leads, and the oldest part, not affected by alterations. In the nave, built at the end of the 13th century, you can see the Baroque altar of the Holy Mysteries, a tabernacle with statues of Saints Joseph, Nicholas the Wonderworker and Anthony of Padua, the Chapel of the Cross, which was once a sacristy and which today houses a silver cross with particles of the Life-giving Cross. The choir stalls from the mid-17th century are nearby. In the depths of the cave, in that part of it that has remained intact, there is an altar, according to legend, erected by Michael the Archangel himself, and the carved throne of Archbishop Leo. Here you can also see the altar of the Mother of God the Perpetual Helper with a wooden canopy.
In 2011, the Sanctuary of Archangel Michael on Mount Gargano was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
