CHURCH OF ST. MICHAEL ARCHANGEL
The devotion towards St. Michael Archangel has been strongly present in the hearts of the inhabitants of Grumo for generations. Every year since ancient times, the pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo in the Gargano region was tangible evidence of an unshakeable faith. At the beginning of the 20th century the journey was long and tiring: mules and creaky carts moved slowly along the dusty roads and the ten days of travelling were marked by exhaustion and prayers. In the 1930s, with the advent of bicycles, the journey took on a new rhythm. At the mass in the church of San Rocco, the cyclists were blessed and the group set off: pedals squeaking, faces to the wind and children running alongside them shouting encouragement. When the group reached the promontory, their tiredness became gratitude. On their return, Grumo celebrated the group: the return of the pilgrims was welcomed with applause, pride and the knowledge that the community had once again fulfilled this act of devotion towards the Archangel. Today, buses and cars have replaced the old methods but the spirit is unchanged.
Every trip to Gargano is still an ex voto, an act of faith joining heaven and earth. The chapel built in 1699 has always had a special role on this spiritual journey. From outside, the simple façade belies the splendour within; breath-taking frescoes adorn every wall and the Archangel Michael dominates the centre of the church, surrounded by Saint Roch and Saint Francis. At the Archangel’s feet stands a stone statue, reinforcing the solemnity of the place, as if to remind the faithful of the tangible sense of the divine. The barrel vault is decorated by an elegant frieze and envelops the space in a welcoming atmosphere where holiness and beauty are one. The side walls depict the terrestrial world and the aquatic world, as if to evoke the struggle and the harmony between different worlds, enriching the spiritual significance of the chapel. The dusty journeys by mule and bicycle, the prayers, frescoes and statues all show how the devotion of Grumo continues to thrive. It is a thread which ties the past to the present, a path which always leads to St. Michael, protector of the faith and the community.