At the top of the hill, there is an ancient convent that dominates the Val Cavallina. At its centre are silent cloisters, a little bell tower and gems of late-Renaissance art. It’s hard to know which is better: to be bewitched by the magnificent view, or to imagine a life of contemplation, work and prayer within these walls, surrounded by the beauty of this sacred architecture.
The convent contains a highly prized national treasure.
The greatest treasure of the convent is an internal well encircled by four columns of white stone that are surmounted by renaissance-style capitals: this is considered a national monument.
The convent remained active until its disestablishment in 1797, but fortunately the well and some of the convent’s other treasures survived, including the 18th century cloister and the façade of the church of the convent.
Traditionally there was also an internal garden surrounded by walls or hedges called a “brolo” in convents. This was a kitchen garden where the religious also cultivated fruit trees. San Michele too had its kitchen garden, as we can see from the remains of its walls.
The Church of the Assumption linked to the convent has a sandstone portal, a gem embellished with Corinthian capitals and cornices decorated with elaborate friezes. This is located next to the cloister of the convent. Inside the church there are works by Pietro Marone and Gian Paolo Cavagna.
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OF NOTE:
– The cloister; the well, which is a national monument
– A 16th century cross made of gilded copper
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VISITING:
Only the outside of the church can be visited.
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