Abbey San Galgano, it is said, was once one of the finest 13th century Gothic buildings in Tuscany. Nearby is the Capella di Monte, the site of the original Cistercian settlement from which came the impulse to build the great Abbey now named in honor of San Galgano. San Galgano was a soldier come saint, who, allegedly, had a vision of St. Michael on this site. In renouncing his worldly life, he apparently plunged his sword into a rock and rock with embedded sword remain there on display. The Abbey, though originally home to quite powerful monks, had a relatively short life span and has been in ruins since the 16th century.
Abbey Monte Oliveto Maggiore is a 14th century renaissance structure with a baroque interior. One interior wall is lined with frescoes illustrating events in the life of St. Benedict whose philosophy, some say, is the basis for the philosophy of the Benedictine monks. This Abbey is still a retreat for 40 monks whose dining area is shown in the photo top right.
R
you could have a whole new career path as a travel brochure photog.
ReplyDeletereally. xo