| For a few months in 1863 a small recess in a rock hillside within Council Grove was home to a religious mystic. Born in 1801 in Novara, Italy, he was known locally as Father Francesco. In his travels through Europe and the Americas he used other names, including Mateo Beccalini, and his birthname, Giovanni Marsa the Agostini.
Son of a nobleman, he received a fine education in preparation for the priesthood, but reportedly was forced to leave Italy after falling in love with a young lady.
He left Council Grove with a wagon train owned by Don Eugenio Romero and captained by Dionicio Gonzalez, walking the entire 550 miles to Las Vegas, New Mexico. There, he is said to have performed miracle cures, which attracted crowds. He retreated to a nearby mountain. Initially called the Hermit of El Porvenir, he lived in a cave on what came to be known as Hermit's Peak. The citizens of Las Vegas soon built for him a small cabin, where he carved religious emblems, which he traded in town for cornmeal.
The Hermit left for southern New Mexico and the Organ Mountains in 1867. He was mysteriously murdered in 1869. |
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| This little recess in the rock is where the monk Father Francesco lived for a few months while in Council Grove. |
Dottie and Max inspect this small enclosure, trying to imagine using the small space as a home. |
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