Abbey of San Galgano

The Abbey of San Galgano is an ancient Cistercian abbey of the 13th century. The site includes the hermitage (called "Rotonda di Montesiepi") and the great abbey, today completely in ruins and reduced only to the walls. The prosperity of the monastery ceased at the end of the 14th century, when Italy was in a state of perpetual war and the warlords sacked the area. In 1577 a restoration of the setting was begun, but it did not prevent further degradation. In 1600, some sources claim that only one monk remained in the abbey, reduced to the state of a hermit.

About this building

Key Features

  • Architecture
  • Monuments

Other nearby buildings

Wikimedia Commons/Attilios

Chiesa di Sant'Agostino

The church of Sant'Agostino was built with an adjoining convent from 1258. Construction continued for more than fifty years, with extensions and remodelling over the centuries, especially during the 15th century, between 1450 and 1490. After a disastrous fire in 1747, it required a complete renovation, which was supervised by Luigi Vanvitelli, from 17 July 1747 to 1755. At the beginning of the 19th century, with the Napoleonic suppression of religious orders, the Augustinians left the convent.

Siena Cathedral

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta was built in the 13th century in the Romanesque-Gothic Italian style. It is famous for its intensive use of marble marquetry. An enlargement of the church took place in the 14th century, but was abandoned with its failure. As part of Historic Centre of Siena, the cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wikimedia Commons/Luca Aless

Basilica of San Domenico

The Basilica of San Domenico was built in the 13th century and enlarged in the following century. The Gothic building houses the relic of the head of Saint Catherine of Siena in a splendid Renaissance chapel built for the occasion.