Praglia Abbey, Benedictine monastery in Teolo, Italy
Praglia Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Teolo that holds the status of minor basilica and features Renaissance architecture. The complex includes four cloisters: a botanical one with red marble columns, a double cloister, a hanging cloister, and a rustic cloister.
The Maltraverso family founded the monastery in 1080 and donated it to the Benedictines. From 1469 onward, the entire complex was rebuilt, while the Church of the Assumption was completed between 1490 and 1550.
Monks read Scripture from a marble pulpit during communal meals, a habit that shapes Benedictine life. The refectory is dominated by a large Crucifixion by Bartolomeo Montagna, turning the space into a place of devotion.
The site sits on hilly terrain that requires sturdy footwear and some stamina when exploring the different areas. A laboratory for restoring ancient books and manuscripts operates inside the monastery and preserves historical documents.
The upper hall displays seventeen canvas paintings by G.B. Zelotti, a late 16th-century artist, set into wooden compartments on the ceiling. The paintings form a connected program that brings the coffered ceiling to life.
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