Santo Sepolcro e Santa Maria a Elmi, Romanesque abbey in San Gimignano, Italy.
Santo Sepolcro e Santa Maria a Elmi is a Romanesque abbey with a rectangular layout and a facade defined by slender columns and rounded arches. Today the buildings serve partly as private homes and storage spaces, though a chapel dedicated to Santa Maria remains open to visit.
The abbey was founded in 1034 and received substantial land donations that made it prosperous. In 1073 it passed to the Camaldolese order, marking a shift in how the community was organized and run.
The abbey served as a waypoint for travelers walking toward Jerusalem along the Via Francigena pilgrimage route. This connection to pilgrimage gives the place a sense of spiritual purpose that visitors can still feel today.
The site is now partly privately owned, so access is limited to certain areas. The chapel can usually be visited and provides a quiet place to spend time.
A prominent square tower from medieval times still rises from the complex, showing how the architecture changed over centuries. This tower is one of the few remnants of the original structure and brings the building history to life.
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