In the centre of the Guaita valley, a short distance from Collescille, stands the small Hermitage of San Fiorenzo at about 1100 metres above sea level, tucked away in the maple and hornbeam woods.
In his ‘Dialogorum’ manuscript, Gregory the Great tells the story of a young monk who devoted himself to the ascetic and contemplative life for many years in the company of the better-known Sant’Eutizio.
After the death of their spiritual father, St. Spes in the 5th century, Eutizio was called down into the valley to take over from the late master and he asked Fiorenzo to look after and pray in the sacred place they had shared for so long. Fiorenzo remained faithful to his promise, it seems, and continued living inside the meagre cells carved into the rock face, which can still be seen a short distance from the hermitage. It was only after the death of his beloved companion around 536, that Fiorenzo decided to leave the valley and follow another ascetic, St. Vincenzo, who lived outside the walls of Foligno, where he remained until his death in the mid-6th century.
The place was abandoned to the memory of the hermit-saint until the 10th century when a small hermitage with a chapel dedicated to San Fiorenzo was finally built next to the cells.
In modern times, this sacred but almost forgotten place has been brought back to life by another monk, a Pole called Taddeo (Tadeusz), who has chosen to follow in the footsteps of St. Fiorenzo and lives in absolute poverty in the small hermitage. He is committed to restoring the few abandoned rooms by providing hospitality to the many visitors who want to visit the place and meet him.