The Hermitage of San Bartolomeo in Legio is perched on a rocky spur about 50 meters high, at an altitude of 700 meters, within the Majella National Park, in the municipality of Roccamorice. It dates back to before the 11th century and was restored around 1250 by Pietro del Morrone, who later became Pope Celestine V. Between 1274 and 1276, he settled here after returning from Lyon, where he sought papal recognition for his Congregation of the Celestines.
The hermitage, carved into the rock, consists of a chapel and two monastic cells. It can be accessed via four staircases cut into the stone, including the “Scala Santa”. A rainwater collection tank is located along the balcony. The church’s façade retains traces of frescoes, now heavily damaged by time, and has a simple stone lintel at its entrance. Inside, the rectangular space (7.7 m long, 3-4 m wide) houses a statue of Saint Bartholomew, depicted holding a knife, symbolizing his martyrdom. Every August 25, devotees carry the statue in procession to the village church after a ritual bath in the Capo la Vena stream, where it remains until the second Saturday of September.
- Address
Località Vallone di S. Spirito, Roccamorice, Italy - Web
https://www.parcomajella.it/ - Visiting Hours
Always open - What to see
Hermitage, landscape
