Abbey of San Galgano

Between Siena and Massa Maritima, the Abbey of San Galgano is a mysterious and bucolic site. In the middle of the countryside stand the fascinating remains of a vast open-air church whose roof has disappeared. It is located close to the Hermitage of Montesiepi which keeps a “sword stuck in a rock .

Description of the abbey

Founded in 1180, San Galgano became one of the most important monasteries in Tuscany, built during the 13th century. It lost its influence from the 14th century, through pestilence and plunder. Some say that in 1786 the church was struck by lightning and collapsed. It was then desecrated.
Since then, the monument has remained as a medieval Gothic-Cistercian abbey without a roof.
The walls and apse of the church remain, with pointed windows, as the grass has invaded the interior.
The soil is also absent, and now grass grows instead. The cloister was rebuilt in the early 20th century with original materials, and there are still some rooms of the abbey, including the chapter house and scriptorium.

Hermitage of Montesiepi

At 500 metres on the hill, the Hermitage of Montesiepi was built in the late 12th century on the hut where Saint Galgano ended his days. She keeps the striking and mysterious «Sword in the Rock». It was planted in stone to be used as a cross by the knight Galgano Guidotti, from this territory of Chiusdino, when he decided to abandon his arms and retire as a hermit. It was the first of his 19 miracles, and in any case a good “marketing action” in favor of the abbey. Today, it is obviously reminiscent of the sword Excalibur of King Arthur.

The material of the sword, long considered a forgery, has recently been dated to the 12th century. Broken at the handle by a tourist almost 15 years ago, it is now protected by a window!

The hermitage is a small church that was originally circular, with a chapel decorated with frescoes by Lorenzetti.,

Where is San Galgano, map

Links and sources

• Fondation Galgano : www.fondazionesangalgano.it
• Informations : www.comune.chiusdino.si.it, en.wikipedia.org, www.visittuscany.com