ABBAZIA SANT'ANTIMO
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Majestic abbey founded in 781 and nestled in the countryside, one of the most amazing and important Romanesque monuments in Tuscany
Nestled in the countryside, this majestic Benedictine abbey of blond stone is one of Tuscany's most striking and important Romanesque monuments, captivating visitors with the contrast between its powerful square campanile and the softness of its rounded lines. Legend has it that the Abbey of Sant'Antimo was founded by order of Charlemagne in 781, on the sober model of Cluny. Its architectural forms are reminiscent of the great Romanesque churches of France.
The interior, consisting of a single rectangular nave, features finely sculpted capitals and wall frescoes by Giovanni d'Asciano. The Carolingian crypt lies beneath the main altar. The Abbey of Sant'Antimo is a quiet and meditative place. The exterior is illuminated until midnight.
A community of priests and monks, most of French descent, still resides here today. Every Sunday at 11 a.m., it's possible to attend mass celebrated with Gregorian chants, and thus appreciate the church's extraordinary acoustics.
Every year, on the night before May 11, a torchlit procession in honor of the feast of Sant'Antimo takes place around the abbey, bringing together many faithful and curious onlookers. Saint Antimo was a 4th-century martyr from the Tuscan town of Arezzo. The abbey was built on existing foundations containing the remains of this saint, who died in 352.
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