5 abbeys to visit in Tuscany

Tuscany is home to several abbeys that, besides being important centres of faith and spirituality, represent extraordinary examples of sacred architecture. We have selected five that everyone, faithful or not, should visit at least once in their life.

The Abbey of San Miniato al Monte

Located in one of the highest places in Florence (just above the famous Piazzale Michelangelo), the Abbey of San Miniato al Monte is one of the most important monuments of Romanesque architecture in Tuscany. It was built between the 12th and 13th centuries on the spot where first a sanctuary dedicated to the Christian martyr Miniato was erected and then, in the 8th century, a chapel. It has a splendid façade decorated with white and green marble from Prato, forming interesting and elegant geometric patterns. The interior, of typical classical inspiration, contains works of considerable value such as: the Chapel of the Crucifix by Michelozzo, with vaults in glazed terracotta by Luca della Robbia; and the sacristy, adorned with a large cycle of frescoes by Spinello Aretino on the Life of St Benedict. The crypt below, where one can admire curious Romanesque capitals and frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi, houses the saint’s relics.

The Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore

In Asciano, in the heart of the Crete Senesi, is the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, a splendid monastic complex that deserves to be visited both for the masterpieces it holds and for the position in which it stands. The structure, built between the 14th and 18th centuries, follows the classic layout of Benedictine abbeys: a church, a main cloister and smaller ones, a chapter house and a refectory. In the case of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, these are joined by a library. Among the innumerable masterpieces that can be admired are: the cycle of frescoes in the large cloister, begun by Luca Signorelli (in 1495) and completed by Antonio Bazzi (in 1505), depicting the life of St. Benedict; the wooden choir in the church, carved and inlaid by Fra Giovanni da Verona in the 16th century; and the frescoes in the refectory painted by Fra Paolo Novelli in the 17th century. The abbey also houses a museum, housed in what was once the chapter house, which collects the artistic testimony of the archicenobium and the churches of the Olivetan diocese.

The Abbey of San Galgano

Still in the province of Siena, and precisely in Chiusdino, there is one of the most suggestive places in the itineraries of Tuscan spirituality. We are talking about the Abbey of San Galgano, appreciated by thousands of visitors from all over the world. Although today it is completely in ruins and reduced to its walls, it represents one of the greatest examples of Gothic-Cistercian architecture in Italy. Built between 1218 and 1288 by order of the Cistercian monks of Casamari, it prospered for many years. Unfortunately, however, it slowly and inexorably declined from the 15th century onwards. Its decline peaked in the 18th century with the collapse of the roof vaults and the ruin of the bell tower. Next to the abbey stands the Hermitage (or Rotunda) of Montesiepi, a chapel that houses an old iron sword embedded in a block of stone, which, according to legend, was planted in the 12th century by Saint Galgano when he decided to leave the noble life to become a hermit.

The Abbey of Sant’Antimo

Moving towards the Val d’Orcia, at Castelnuovo dell’Abate (a hamlet of the municipality of Montalcino), we find the Abbey of Sant’Antimo, an ancient abbey inhabited over the centuries by Benedictine monks and founded, according to legend, by the Emperor Charlemagne. It is reached via a scenic road that branches out among vineyards, olive groves, hills and isolated farmhouses. The present church, dating back to the 12th century (as attested by an inscription engraved on the high altar), is the most important Romanesque monument in southern Tuscany. The structure is made of travertine rock, which gives it an ever-changing lustre according to colour variations. Among the works present are: a wooden statue depicting the Madonna and Child from the 13th-century Umbrian school; a polychrome wooden Crucifix, also from the 13th century; and a frescoed lunette with Christ Rising from the 16th-century Sienese school.

The Abbey of San Salvatore

In the heart of the Amiata is the Abbey of San Salvatore, the Benedictine complex that gives its name to the municipality of Abbadia San Salvatore. It has very ancient origins: according to tradition, it was founded in 743 by the Lombard king Ratchis in the place where Christ appeared to him, but more probably the foundation was the work of the Friulian duke Erfone. The abbey was rebuilt in Romanesque forms in the first half of the 11th century, although its current appearance is due to restoration work carried out in the 1930s. Among the works of art housed inside are the frescoes ‘Legend of Duke Ratchis’ and ‘Martyrdom of St Bartholomew’ by Baroque painter Francesco Nasini. The crypt (probably dating back to the 8th century), characterised by the presence of 35 columns (24 of which are original) of various shapes, is particularly fascinating. Not to be missed is the small museum set up in the cloister, which houses important artefacts from the abbey and the Church of the Madonna del Castagno.