Santa Maria di Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Abbey cathedral in Chiusure, Asciano, Italy

Santa Maria di Monte Oliveto Maggiore is the abbey church of the Monte Oliveto Maggiore abbey near Chiusure, in the comune of Asciano. Built between 1400 and 1417, it has a Gothic exterior of exposed red brick, with a gabled facade, a pointed portal with a 15th-century painted lunette of the Madonna and Child, and a rose window above. A tall bell tower with four triforas per side and a conical spire rises near the apse; the octagonal dome with lantern belongs to the Baroque choir.

The monastery was founded in the early 1400s and grew to become the main seat of the Olivetan Benedictines, a reformed monastic order. Its development over subsequent centuries shaped both its physical form and regional influence.

The abbey church is also the cathedral of the autonomous territorial abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore and a parish seat. Its name comes from the Olivetan congregation founded by Bernardo Tolomei, whose vision of a golden ladder is painted on the nave vault by Ermenegildo Costantini in 1780. In the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, reached from the left transept, stands a 14th-century painted wooden crucifix said to have spoken to Tolomei.

The monastery sits on a hillside and requires some walking from the parking area, so comfortable shoes are recommended. Access to different areas may vary depending on visiting hours, so checking ahead is helpful before you go.

The church holds a 14th-century painted wooden crucifix kept in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament; tradition says it spoke several times to Bernardo Tolomei, founder of the Olivetans. On its back hangs a 17th-century painting of him by Raffaele Vanni.