Inauguration of the lift at the Sacra di San Michele
On 29 September 2026 full accessibility was announced for the Sacra di San Michele, a monument symbolic of Piedmont located on Mount Pirchiriano, thanks to the construction of a new lift built inside an existing tower of the Monastero Vecchio. The work, supported by the Fondazione CRT and the Consulta per la Valorizzazione dei Beni Artistici e Culturali di Torino, involved a total investment of 400,000 euros [1].
The project
The new system connects four levels of the monastic complex, which house the Museo del Quotidiano, the Library, the Carlo Alberto Hall with the Refectory and the old Workshop. The work is part of Fondazione CRT's programme called "Santuari e Comunità" [1].
The works
Installing the lift required a complex operation of excavating and cutting the rock, removing 55 cubic metres of rock and fill material. The vertical part of the excavation, eight metres deep, was carried out with disc cutting, while the six metres of horizontal cutting were done using the diamond-wire technique. The site, opened in March 2025, involved three companies and about fifteen specialised workers [1].
Reorganisation of the spaces
Before the works began, the access flows for visitors and staff were redesigned, with new routes and a dedicated staircase. The ticket office was moved inside the Porta di Ferro to expand the reception areas, while the café and bookshop were refurbished and relocated near the Sepolcro dei Monaci [1].
Statements
The president of Fondazione CRT, Anna Maria Poggi, said that the work allows a greater number of people to fully experience the monument, stressing that the works were carried out without altering the identity of the thousand-year-old site and with the contribution of local tradespeople. The president of the Consulta, Licia Mattioli, described the work as an honour for its contribution to the accessibility of the Sacra, recalling the complexity of the works carried out in confined spaces and with particular attention to safety [1].
Related articles: New accessible lift at the Sacra di San Michele (September 2026), New lift for accessibility at the Sacra di San Michele (September 2026)
Pages linking here
- Nuovo ascensore accessibile alla Sacra di San Michele (settembre 2026)
- Nuovo ascensore per l'accessibilità della Sacra di San Michele (settembre 2026)
Sources
- ANSA Piemonte — 29 September 2026