Stories of Saint Benedict in Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Fresco cycle at Monte Oliveto Maggiore Abbey, Italy.
Stories of Saint Benedict in Monte Oliveto Maggiore is a cycle of 36 painted scenes covering the walls of the cloister in the Benedictine abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, in Tuscany. The scenes are arranged in a continuous sequence along the covered corridors and depict episodes from the life of Saint Benedict.
The scenes were painted between 1497 and 1508 by two painters: Luca Signorelli started the work and Sodoma completed the majority of the cycle. Both drew from the biography of Saint Benedict written by Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century.
The frescoes line the walls of the cloister in a sequence that visitors naturally follow as they walk around the covered passages. Each painted scene connects to the next, making the whole cycle feel like a story unfolding step by step.
Walking slowly through the cloister and following the scenes in order is the best way to take in the full cycle. The covered passages change in light depending on the time of day, so earlier or later visits can offer different viewing conditions.
Sodoma painted himself into one of the scenes and can be spotted as a figure with long hair and two badgers at his side. The badgers were his real pets, which he reportedly kept with him at all times.
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