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All Italy Albano Laziale Romitorio di Sant'Angelo in Lacu
AO Edited

Romitorio di Sant'Angelo in Lacu

The ruins of a thousand-year-old hermitage are tucked away deep in the sloping forests of Albano Lake.

Albano Laziale, Italy

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Jan Claus Di Blasio
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The chapel   LatiumMirabile / Atlas Obscura User
The belltower   LatiumMirabile / Atlas Obscura User
Inside the gallery   LatiumMirabile / Atlas Obscura User
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The strange “meditation chamber”   LatiumMirabile / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The steep slopes of Italy's volcanic Albano Lake hide a number of archaeological, historical, and natural wonders.  Among these wonders is a nearly inaccessible hermitage: the Romitorio di Sant'Angelo in Lacu.

The trail to the site on the Castelli Romani hiking maps is steep and rocky, making the journey challenging. The site is located above a small canyon on the side of the lake opposite the town of Castel Gandolfo and below the Palazzolo nunnery.

The earliest record of the site is from 1116, from a Papal bull (charter) that mentioned the remote hermitage. It was later restored, in 1282, by Cardinal Savelli, who in turn gave it to the Guglielmini fathers of Montevergine. They occupied the site until the 17th century. In 1773, Cardinal Colonna gave orders to destroy the hermitage—after nearly a century of abandonment, it had become a popular place for highwaymen to hide out.

Nowadays, the ruins of the bell tower, chapel and an unusual structure identified as a meditation chamber that is dug in the local volcanic rock are still visible. There are also a number of deep tunnels and underground storage rooms.

In the recent past the site has often been associated with satanic rituals and on the shore below the hermitage, a woman named Antonietta Longo, was murdered and beheaded in an unresolved murder case from the 1950s.

Related Tags

Hermitage Medieval Archaeology Ruins

Know Before You Go

Hiking maps are available at the park headquarters in Rocca di Papa. The trail to the site (511) is steep and poorly marked, and should only be hiked by experienced adventurers with appropriate hiking shoes.

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LatiumMirabile

Published

May 5, 2021

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  • https://www.nemora.it/sant-angelo-in-lacu/
Romitorio di Sant'Angelo in Lacu
Albano Laziale, 00041
Italy
41.739989, 12.688368
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Nearby Places

The Uphill-Downhill Road of Ariccia

Albano Laziale, Italy

miles away

Via Sacra

Rocca di Papa, Italy

miles away

Nemi Ships

Nemi, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Albano Laziale

Albano Laziale

Italy

Places 2

Nearby Places

The Uphill-Downhill Road of Ariccia

Albano Laziale, Italy

miles away

Via Sacra

Rocca di Papa, Italy

miles away

Nemi Ships

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Albano Laziale

Albano Laziale

Italy

Places 2

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