San Bartolomeo in Legio – Hermitage entrance

This hermitage, like S. Spirito a Maiella, was established arount the 1000 a.c.  and renewed later (1250) by Celestino V who used it as his first dwelling.

Later, after beeing recognized by the Fratelli di Santo Spirito Order, in the 1274 he secluded  here, togheter with some disciples, up to 1276.

The hermitage lays under a rock that overlay it completely.

To get to the hermitage it is necessary to climb the so called Scala Santa (Holy Stairway), a stairway digged into the rock that conducts to a balcony where the church stands.

At the door entrance there are some not well preserved  frescos dated back to the Celestino V period. Inside the church, over a simple altar, there is the wood statue of St. Bartolomeo  and on the left wall a bowl receives a little spring water that locals thinks miraculous

Eremo di San bartolomeo in legio – Gli affreschi

Every year on August 25th at down after the Celebration the devoted go to the hermitage and with a procession take the statue to the Roccamorice church. It remains there till September the 9th, when a new pilgrimage takes it back to the hermitage.