Abbey of San Galgano, Gothic monastery in Chiusdino, Italy
The Abbey of San Galgano is a roofless Cistercian Gothic church in the Merse valley near Chiusdino. Its long nave wall of pale grey stone has tall pointed arches with vertical tracery, and the facade gable holds a small round window above the doorway. The walls mix reddish brick and grey stone in banded courses, with clustered columns along the nave and a far wall pierced by a large circular opening above pointed-arch windows.
Monks of the Cistercian order began construction around 1220 and worked until approximately 1280 to complete the complex. Over the centuries the buildings declined through looting and the roof collapsed in the 18th century.
The abbey is named after Galgano Guidotti, a knight from Chiusdino who died in 1181 and was venerated as a saint, celebrated on 3 December. Cistercian monks from Clairvaux and Casamari formed the first community here, and Sienese monks of the house served as camerlenghi of the Biccherna, the republic's treasury. Brother Melano signed the 1266 contract with Nicola Pisano for the cathedral pulpit.
The complex lies in the rural landscape outside Chiusdino and can be reached by a winding road. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear, as the ground inside the ruin is uneven and consists of grass and stones.
In the nearby round chapel of Montesiepi a real sword is embedded in rock, said by tradition to have been thrust there by a knight. The site has served multiple times as a filming location for movies and music videos that wanted to use the open structure and light.
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