22-7-09: Part 2

Here is the second installment on the happenings from our day at "work" yesterday. To pick up where we left off, after a morning on the test track, our boss suggested that we take the day to explore the area surrounding Turin and see the sights. Our final destination during this trip was the city of Avigliana, which is home to the Sacra di San Michele - an abbey located at the very top of the mountain.

This mountaintop is a nice secluded location for an abbey. Fortunately for us, we didn't have to walk all the way to the top, since we were traveling in Sebastian's car. (By the way, did you know that nearly all cars in Italy are manual transmission? Apparently this is a cultural preference.) Here we can see the abbey in the distance, behind these ruins.

The abbey is interesting and unique in that instead of being built on the mountaintop, it is built around the mountaintop. By this, I mean that the peak of the mountain is actually inside the abbey! Here, at the entrance to the Sacra di San Michele, we can see the way in which the stone structure sits in harmony with the stone of the mountain.

Of course, the fact that the mountain continues inside the abbey means that there is a considerable amount of stair-climbing to be done inside! It's not too big of a deal though, compared to the excellent view of the surrounding mountains and the valley and cities below. Sadly, yesterday was really foggy, so the photos didn't turn out too great.

Anyway, moving back inside, after passing through an entranceway in which apparently they used to hang the heads of dead abbots until they decomposed into skulls, we reached a beautiful stairway lined with buttresses that led to the church area.

The church did not try to be showy at all, especially compared to other churches that are more touristy. This one just had some simple pews and the occasional fresco or painting on the wall. The more interesting area though, shown below, is a kind of crypt, right in the church's back area. Elegantly carved sarcophagi presumably containing the remains of previous abbots line the walls.

Right outside the church is a pretty view of the courtyard, which is somewhat run down on the borders but still well-maintained inside and pretty nonetheless.

This courtyard offered us the best views of the abbey. Here we can see the outer walls sprouting right out from the rocks in the mountain!

Some old arches... was this a wall or a buttress?

A huge stone from the mountain juts right out into the courtyard. I guess in the construction of the abbey, they really didn't want to tear the mountain apart at all.

It's as if the mountain and the Sacra di San Michele were one entity!

And good thing we were with Sebastian, because the three of us MITers were finally able to get a picture together. I'm short...

Tomorrow, Fernando and I are going to Paris, where my good buddy Man-Yan has kindly offered us hospitality. Kristen, meanwhile, will be touring Italy with her parents. Hopefully there will be some more updates while I'm in France!