Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso

The Sanctuary of Santa Caterina del Sasso, originated votive, the later twelfth century, such as Alberto Besozzi Besozzo, hexose merchant of the lake, was caught in a storm while sailing for trade between the banks, promised if he was saved to distribute its riches to the poor and to retire to life of a hermit.

Obtained Grace, listened to the vote, and chose as his refuge a natural cave in the vicinity of today’s Sanctuary.

A plague broke out, Blessed induced the people to build a church dedicated to St. Catherine, to escape the scourge, the church in which he was buried.

After an invasion of wolves were built next to the church, another small temple dedicated to the Virgin Mary and a convent for Dominicans who resided there until the beginning of 300.

Towards the end of 400 the two small buildings were lumped into a single sanctuary flanked by a cloister, in 600 the factory had further extensions and around 1640 a landslide of rocks stopped right on the vault of the church, some stones fell to the ground in 1910 .


You enter the sanctuary through a porrticato suspended on the rock (restaurant), from which you enter a room adorned didipinti, in the next courtyard is visible winepress of 1759.

In the convent of the mid-400, on the wall at the top you can see the fragments of a danse macabre, the church is preceded by a portico and flanked by a bell tower with mullioned terminal.

The interior of the church, two asymmetrical aisles, built at different times, are some paintings, a crumbling fresco of 300 (Enthroned Madonna and Saints) with the arms of Besozzi, a crucifix of Piero Crespi (1510), a shovel GB of Lawyers (1612), and   the polychrome glass windows dating back to the beginning of 600.

Major worship at the altar are the remains of Blessed Alberto Besozzi, in back of the church you can see the rocks crashed in 1910, and the ancient temple dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

At the temple the cave where he lived in penance Besozzi and near the shrine is a cave perhaps inhabited since Roman times.

The transport from Stresa to Santa Caterina del Sasso takes about 20 minutes, this year we have a comfortable landing facilities for our navigation service that will make your arrival and your departure very easy.