New elevator carved into rock to make Sacra di San Michele accessible by spring 2026

The Sacra di San Michele, a Benedictine abbey symbol of Piedmont built between 983 and 987 on Monte Pirchiriano, will become more accessible thanks to a nearly 27-meter elevator carved directly into the rock. Funded by Fondazione CRT and Consulta di Torino, the elevator will bypass the famous 243-step "Scalone dei Morti" and is set to be operational by spring 2026. The project, started in March 2025, focuses on the "Monastero Vecchio" across four levels: the Museo del Quotidiano, the Biblioteca, the Sala Carlo Alberto with the Refettorio, and the Officina antica, connected to an existing elevator in the ruins of the Monastero Nuovo. The new elevator, housed in a pre-existing tower carved into the rock, will serve 5 floors over 27 meters, enabling an "ascensional path" to the summit. The library, containing 30,000 volumes on theosophy mostly from the early 19th century and a commercial text from before 1500, will finally be accessible. The abbey, dedicated to the Archangel Michael, was founded by the French nobleman Ugo di Montboissier and is now cared for by the Rosminian Fathers. It inspired Umberto Eco's novel "The Name of the Rose." Around 500,000 people gravitate to the site annually, with 300,000 entering and 150,000–200,000 paying visitors. The intervention may boost the UNESCO recognition process.