The Church of the Hermit is a sacred building with a crypt and annexed monastery. The Church and crypt together form a very rare architectonic complex, which is unique in the area.

It is situated along the right bank of the River Nera and is part of the internal connection system organised along the mountain way which reaches Sellano from Paterno. The name of the place refers to the presence of hermit settlements; in fact the entire complex faces onto a rocky amphitheatre inside which numerous hermit cells arose, thanks also to the diffused presence of grottos.

The original plan of the building is from the 11th century. This location was also home to the Monastery of S. Maria de Ugonis, founded by the Vallumbrosan monks since the origin of the order (11th century), in operation until its suppression decreed by Innocent X in 1654. The surviving walls of the monastic building allow to appreciate its size and shape to this day.

The primitive orientation of the Church’s Romanesque portal towards the mountain reveals how the only access point was once from the top. The interior has a single nave with transept, to which is connected a small chapel which was built a little later.