LO SPAZIO SACRO DELLA GROTTA: IL SANTUARIO DI SAN MICHELE AL MONTE TANCIA

The rock sanctuary of St. Michael of Tancia, dedicated to the Archangel from at least 774 A.D. is one of the most significant examples of a Michaelic sanctuary, where, both the natural and territorial context (the sacred mountain, the presence of the main road network, the pilgrimage routes), and the interior of the sacred space (the entrance, the altar-ciborium, the steps, but also the different lighting conditions) constitute the material and tangible signs of the Michaelic cult, characterized by continuous process- es of religious syncretism and stratifications marked by a strong continuity of religious and cultural traditions. The archaeological studies of that sanctuary, both through the typological analysis, through topographical and archaeological research, including also a 3D survey, allowed to understand the different function of the space inside the cave to be connected to the presence of the two cults documented by the sources.