Sant'Eutizio, Romanesque abbey in Preci, Italy

Sant'Eutizio is a monastic complex in the Castoriana Valley near Piedivalle, in the municipality of Preci. It began in the early 5th century as artificial caves cut into a spur of spongy stone, each housing an elder abba and a young hermit. A church was built in honour of Eutizio, who died in 540, and the abbey was restored and enlarged under abbots Teodino I from 1180 and Teodino II until 1236.

Eastern monks settled here in the 5th century and built a sanctuary next to a natural spring on the site. The location gradually developed into a revered religious center with influence spreading across the surrounding region over the following centuries.

The abbey's name comes from Eutizio, who led the community after Spes died on 28 March 510 and was called the evangelizer of the valley. Its scriptorium produced the Confessio Eutiziana in the first half of the 11th century, one of the oldest documents in the vernacular after the Placito di Montecassino. In 1605 abbot Giacomo Crescenzi gave about 35 illuminated codices to Saint Philip Neri.

Access to the abbey involves walking a path that leads uphill to the monastery, which can vary depending on the season and weather conditions. A museum inside the building displays objects from its past, so visitors should allow time to explore the interior properly.

The monks here developed specialized knowledge in medicine and surgical techniques that spread beyond the region over many centuries. Their school at Preci became known across Europe as a place where people came to learn these healing practices.