The Hermitage Of San Colombano, Italy

The saint arrived in Italy after chastising a king, Theuderic , for adultery. Colombano met with a warm welcome by the King of the Lombards who allocated to him a plot of land in Bobbio where he founded the new monastery and he came to the end of his days on 21 November 615.
The building looks as if it is excavated directly from the rock and indeed it is. The visitor must pass through the Leno gorge and then climb a precarious 102 steps up the gorge. It is said that the saint killed a terrible dragon who had taken to pillaging the area. The cave had been its lair and once slain the place became a pilgrimage.
The river Leno, one hundred and 20 meters below had been the site of baptism for the children of the area. During the baptism ceremony the dragon would swoop down and snatch the children, returning with them to its lair and devouring them there. The battle was epic but Colombano eventually destroyed the creature.