San Galgano @ The stars as ceiling
The
abbey of San Galgano was built between 1224 and 1288 in honour of Galgano Guidotti, an aristocrat from Chiusdino who decided to live the last years of his life as a hermit and was canonized in 1185.
Today the rests of the Gothic abbey are still to be seen. Thanks to the Cistercian monks, the complex developed and became the most important abbey in the neighbourhood.
San Galgano experienced a period of decay beginning in the 15th century. The church was restored in 1577, in order to solve its structural problems
San Galgano
but in 1722 the first big cracks appeared in the walls of the bell tower, which eventually collapsed in 1786. In the following years, the ceiling collapsed, as well. With the suppression of religious orders, in 1816 the monastery was transformed into a farm.
The church is a three-aisle Latin cross building with the traditional Cistercian rectangular apse. The façade is unaccomplished.
San Galgano
On the right side of the abbey there is the monastery, where the Olivetan nuns have been living since 1967. The chapter house, the monk room and part of the cloister-garth are still to be admired.
On the neighbouring monte Siepi dresses a little Romanesque unusually round church.
San Galgano
It seems that the church was built by San Galgano around 1180. In fact, Galgano loved to pray in this place in front of his sword in the rock.
A chapel was added in the 14th century; it is decorated with beautiful frescoes by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, such as a
Madonna with Child, Angels and Saints and an
Annunciation. In the chapel some detached frescoes reproducing scenes of San Galgano`s life are to be seen.
