HERMITAGE OF SAN LANZO

Shrouded in an aura of mystery, the Hermitage of San Lanzo rises majestically on a hill, dominating the surrounding landscape with its silhouette.
The ruins of the hermitage immersed in a 17-hectare secular park, with their austere lines, blend harmoniously into the landscape, like a silent guardian watching over this enchanted place.
Even today, those who cross the threshold of this hermitage cannot help but feel enveloped in an aura of sacredness and mystery.

The adventure of the Hermitage of San Lanzo began in 1661, when Count Gaspare Graneri della Rocca di Ceres, a devotee of Camaldolese spirituality, commissioned engineer Francesco Lanfranchi to build this place of recollection.
Eager to promote contemplative life and offer the community a spiritual refuge, the count donated the hermitage and its vast grounds to the Camaldolese order in 1676. The monks, known for their strict rule of life and dedication to study and prayer, transformed the hermitage into a thriving religious and cultural center.
The days were marked by the rhythms of liturgy, the study of sacred texts and agricultural activities.
In the surrounding fields, the monks grew grains, vegetables and fruit, ensuring food self-sufficiency and offering the surplus to the community.
The architecture of the hermitage, sober and elegant, reflected the values of simplicity and austerity characteristic of the Camaldolese order.

With the advent of the French Revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic occupation, the Hermitage of St. Lanzo suffered a severe blow.
In 1802, the Camaldolese order was suppressed and the property confiscated.
Deprived of their spiritual refuge, the monks were dispersed and the hermitage abandoned to its fate.
For years, the building and park fell into disrepair, looted and plundered.
Only with the Restoration of 1815 were the Camaldolese able to regain possession of their property.
With tenacity and determination, they devoted themselves to rebuilding the hermitage, seeking to restore its former beauty.
However, their joy was short-lived. The Siccardi Laws, enacted in 1836 by the Kingdom of Sardinia with the intention of limiting the power of the Church, led to the suppression of religious orders and the new expulsion of the Camaldolese.
The hermitage, once again abandoned, was destined for an uncertain future.

In 1918, the Hermitage, with its isolated location and large surrounding park, was identified by the Italian Red Cross as an ideal place for the rehabilitation of war veterans.
The pure air and quietness of the place were considered fundamental elements for the convalescence of soldiers.
In later years, the Hermitage was transformed into a treatment center specializing in the fight against female tuberculosis, a disease that claimed numerous victims.
The construction of a new building in the 1960s, equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment, testified to the importance of this place in the regional health care scene.
However, with the advent of new therapies and the evolution of the health care system, hospital operations ceased in 2013, leaving the Hermitage in a state of gradual abandonment.
Deprived of needed care, the building was subjected to looting and vandalism, which disfigured its original appearance.

Collapsed roofs, faded frescoes and damaged masonry are just some of the signs of time passing inexorably.

Walking through the ruins of the Hermitage of San Lanzo, one cannot help but feel a sense of melancholy and nostalgia for a past that will not return.

Yet, in every stone, in every corner of this place, the life of those who inhabited and loved it still seems to pulsate.

It is our duty to cherish this memory, so that the Hermitage of St. Lanzo will continue to be a beacon of hope and a symbol of rebirth.