With the expression “sacred line of St. Michael“, or sometimes “Saint Michael’s sword”, refers to a legend that is quite widespread in countries with a predominantly Christian religion, but without concrete scientific or historical basesaccording to which the straight line which connects 7 monasteries dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel between Ireland and Israel (two of which are in Italy) would be the gash caused by a sword stroke by the archangel during the clash with the Devil. Actually there is no proof that this line has a particular meaning or that it has been intentionally planned. The connection between these places is probably a geographical coincidencesince St. Michael He is a venerated figure in many places and it is not unusual for there to be churches or monasteries dedicated to him in various places. Furthermore the sites of the monasteries would be at a distance from the presumed one that goes from 12 to 42 kmeven without considering the curvature of the Earth. Furthermore, the dedication to St. Michael of the last place on the line, the Stella Maris Monastery in Israel, is only weakly attested.
St. Michael’s Line: The Meaning of the Straight Line and the Sword
Saint Michael the Archangel is one of the most venerated figures in the history of Christianity. In medieval era particularly, due to its connotation militarythe cult of the archangel was widely practiced in the environments related to the world of weaponsand in a certain sense he was the “national” saint of the Lombardswho founded one of the most important sanctuaries dedicated to San Michele, in Gargano in Apulia.
The Seven Monasteries of the “Line of St. Michael”
The “sacred line of St Michael” passes through Skellig Michael in Ireland, St Michel’s Mount in Cornwall, Mont Saint Michel in Brittany, Sacra di San Michele in Piedmont, Santuario di San Michele in Puglia, the monastery of St Michael the Archangel in Panormitis, Greece, and the Stella Maris Monastery on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel.
Skellig Michael (Ireland)
Located on a islet off the coast of Irish coastsis a monastery built starting from the 6th century from Irish monks, who they named it after Saint Michael between the 10th and 11th centuries. The monastery, with some structures built with dry stonesis quite well known for being used in the filming of Star Wars: The Force Awakensof 2015.
St Michael’s Mount (UK)
It is located on a small tidal island (connected to earth during the low tide) in CornwallIn the United KingdomThere was already a monastery on the island starting from the 8th century. In the 11th century this was taken over by the Monks of Mont Saint Michelin France, who remodeled the complex in the image and likeness of the much more famous monastery from which it originated.
Mont Saint Michel (France)
Located in Normandyin the north of the Franceis one of the most famous and visited places in the whole countryIt is located on a island connected to the ground during the low tideand his Gothic Abbeya UNESCO heritage site, was built between the 11th and 16th centuries. Even today it is one of the main places linked to the cult of the archangel.
Sacra di San Michele (Italy)
It is an abbey built in 960 meters highin Susa Valleya few km from Turin, in PiedmontThe cult of Saint Michael was probably established in these parts by the Lombardsand the oldest part of the monastery dates back to the 6th centuryThe current church was built in several phases between the 11th and 12th centuries. In the 2018 part of the abbey was destroyed due to a firewhich fortunately did not affect the most historically relevant parts. The incredible atmosphere surrounding the Sacra di San Michele inspired the great writer Umberto Eco for his masterpiece, The Name of the Roseof 1980.
Sanctuary of St. Michael the Archangel (Italy)
It is located at Mount Saint AngeloIn the Garganoin Apulia. The cult of Saint Michael, also brought here by the Lombards, is traditionally traced back between the 5th and 6th centuryThe complex was built starting from the 13th century around a grottogoal of pilgrimage since the early Middle Ages, due to some Apparitions of the archangel. Saint Michael was particularly dear to the Lombards, because after their conversion to Christianityin him were recognized the warrior virtues that during the pagan period had been of Odinone of the main deities of the Germanic pantheonThe site is a heritage of theUNESCO along with other places in Italy linked to the Lombard period.
Monastery of St. Michael the Archangel of Panormitis (Greece)
It is located on the island of Yesin Greecemore precisely in the archipelago of Dodecanese. It is not possible to trace the precise foundation of the monastery dedicated to the archangel, patron saint of the island. The current architectural form of the structure was assumed starting from 18th century.
Stella Maris Monastery (Israel)
It is located on the Mount Carmelto Haifain IsraelThe area has always been of great religious interest since the Middle Agesdue to its connection with the Prophet Elijahwhich according to theOld Testament challenged here Baal, ancient Canaanite deity. Many monks, particularly devoted to the prophet, began to reside in isolation in the caves of the mountainalso practicing the cult of Saint Michael. The current monastery It was built in the first half of the 19th century and is dedicated to the Madonna in its aspect of “Star of the Sea“, protector of sailors.
