Italy Sacra di San Michele

The Sacra di San Michele is an imposing, thousand-year-old abbey and a symbol of Piedmont, perched on Mount Pirchiriano in the Susa Valley. It is famous for its Romanesque and Gothic architecture, the Staircase of the Dead, the Staircase of the Zodiac, and its connection to the “sacred line” of Michaelic shrines. The inspiration for Umberto Eco’s *The Name of the Rose*, it is a place of pilgrimage that combines faith, art, history, and breathtaking views, and is also home to the tombs of the House of Savoy.

You can take photos at sunrise or sunset, but they turn out even better in the fog. You can also photograph the moon’s phases.

Excellent paid parking; if you plan to fly a drone, be sure to check the D-Flight map carefully to avoid entering the restricted “red zone.”