Sanctuary of San Michele in Monte Laureto in Putignano
Updated at: 12-08-2024
How this content can help you:
- The transformation from the pagan cult of Apollo to the Christian sanctuary of Saint Michael.
- Access to the cave through a staircase and the internal artistic works.
- Byzantine and Renaissance frescoes, and the statue of Saint Michael by Stefano da Putignano.
- The natural features of the cave: stalactites, stalagmites, and a mystical atmosphere.
- The history of the adjacent convent and its use over time.
- The festival on September 29th with processions and traditional fair.
- Guided tours and how to reach the sanctuary from Putignano.
About 3 kilometers from Putignano, on a wooded hill, there is a suggestive sanctuary carved into the rock. This site has been frequented since ancient times as a place of worship in devotion to the pagan god Apollo, even before becoming a Christian sanctuary dedicated, like the one in Gargano, to Saint Michael the Archangel.
Access to the Sanctuary
One reaches it by climbing a staircase that leads into the cave where a frescoed shrine dating back to the Byzantine period is preserved.
Once descended into the cave, you can admire the main altar at the back.
Here is preserved a fresco of the Crucifixion dating back to the 14th century. To the right, there is another shrine with a fresco of the Madonna of Mount Carmel, while to the left of the altar stands the statue of Saint Michael the Archangel, attributed to the sculptor Stefano da Putignano.
The Cave
The cave is one of the most suggestive places of worship in the area: completely carved into the rock, the cavity features a ceiling adorned with stalactites and stalagmites and a particular light that gives solemnity and mystery to the environment, where you can hear the background gurgling of water.
The Ancient Convent
Around the rock sanctuary, there is an ancient convent cared for by various monastic orders until the end of the 19th century when it became the private property of a local noble.
In 1930, Mussolini turned it into a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients, which remained active until the 1970s, after which it was used for administrative and care purposes.
Despite the passage of time and the encountered vicissitudes, the cave has remained there, always preserving its ancient splendor, which still attracts numerous pilgrims and visitors from all over the world.
Why Visit?
Among stalactites, stalagmites, statues, and Renaissance frescoes, it is easy to be captivated by the rare beauty of the sanctuary and its great mystical, historical, artistic, and cultural value.
The cave in Monte Laureto has been a destination for Michaeline pilgrimages for centuries, from Ireland and the Skellig Islands, passing through Mont Saint Michel in France and Monte Sant'Angelo on Gargano, to the Holy Sepulchre. The rock sanctuary of Saint Michael in Putignano is a treasure chest of extraordinary artistic treasures such as the frescoes of the 14th century and the Early Renaissance and the sculptures of Stefano da Putignano.
Even today, according to the centuries-old tradition, on September 29th, in Monte Laureto, the festival in honor of Saint Michael the Archangel is renewed, with celebrations and processions carrying the Saint on the shoulder, serving as the backdrop to a festival with lights and food stalls in the square in front of the cave entrance.
The sacred cave is open to the public through guided tours managed by the Pro Loco of Putignano, every day by reservation.
How to Get There?
Monte Laureto is about 3 km from the city of Putignano and is located in the direction of S.P. Putignano/Noci.
It is served by intercity buses and the Bari-Taranto line of the Ferrovie Sud-Est.
If you want to have an unforgettable holiday, we recommend one of the B&B Vacation Homes near the Sanctuary of Saint Michael in Monte Laureto.
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