Tuscany is a land full of wonders and places to visit: crystal clear sea, wonderful mountains, unforgettable cities of art. This month we take you to discover some beautiful monasteries in Tuscany.
The monasteries are undoubtedly places full of charm, wrapped as they are in meditative silence and immersed in breathtaking views. Whether you are faithful or not, a visit is always worthwhile, whether for religious reasons, or to learn about its history, art, traditions: the monasteries in fact bring with them centuries-old stories that deserve to be told, stories of men, customs, nature and beauty.
Five monasteries in Tuscany to visit
La Verna
Via del Santuario, 45, 52010 Chiusi della Verna (AR), Italy
Website: https://www.laverna.it/en
The Sanctuary of the Friars Minor of La Verna is immersed in the Tuscan Apennines, surrounded by a forest of beech and fir trees and set on a peak cut to the peak, from which you can enjoy a wonderful view of the surrounding valley.
Its history is very ancient: in 1213 Francis of Assisi met Orlando Catani, Count of Chiusi, who gave him the gift of Mount La Verna to retire with his friars; His last visit to the monastery dates back to 1224, where he apparently also received the stigmata. The event is commemorated in the Chapel of the Stigmata, where a stone on the floor indicates the place of the miracle.
The Certosa of Florence
Via della Certosa 1, 50124 Florence (Fi)
Website: http://www.certosadifirenze.it/
On the top of Monte Acuto, near southern Florence, is the Certosa di Firenze. Commissioned by Niccolò Acciaiuoli in the first half of the 1300s, while the embellishment works continued until the eighteenth century. The name "certosa" derives from the Carthusian Order, founded around 1084: the charterhouses are located far from inhabited centers to promote the knowledge of God in solitude.
The Certosa di Firenze has a full calendar of activities and meetings, and a shop where you can taste the delicacies prepared by the monks and not only: liqueurs, jams and jams, oil, a perfumery ... There really is something for everyone.
Monastery of Camaldoli
Monastery of Camaldoli, 52014 Camaldoli (Ar)
Website: https://www.camaldoli.it/
Camaldoli is a community of Benedictine monks founded in 1012 by St. Romuald. The complex, formed by the Sacred Hermitage and the Monastery, is immersed in a lush forest, and also houses a guesthouse, open to hospitality and cultural and spiritual research.
In Camaldoli there is also the Ancient Pharmacy, where medicines and cosmetics were prepared using plants from the botanical garden near the monastery.
Abbey of Vallombrosa
Via San Benedetto, 2, 50066 Vallombrosa, Italy
Website: https://monaci.org/
Immersed in the forest of Vallombrosa is another of the monasteries in Tuscany that we want to talk about: the Abbey of Vallombrosa.
The monastery, founded on the rule of St. Benedict, dates back to the early year one thousand. The monks founded the association Faggio Vallombrosano, which deals with distance adoptions in Angola, Brazil, Honduras and India.
Also in this abbey it is possible to visit the ancient pharmacy to try the preparations made, even today, by the monks.
Sanctuary of Montenero
Piazza di Montenero, 9, 57128 Livorno, Italy.
Website: https://www.santuariomontenero.org/index.php
The Sanctuary of Montenero is located on a hill overlooking the sea and the port of Livorno. It seems that the Madonna appeared, in 1345, in a miraculous image to a poor crippled shepherd, who took her to the "mountain of the devil", as the hill where the current sanctuary stands was known at the time.
The sanctuary has been managed since 1793 by the monastic community of the Vallombrosan Monks. Near the monastery there is the Via delle Grotte, a refuge for hermits who had come to guard the miraculous picture.
If you are looking for places where silence is a must, immersed in the most luxuriant nature, rich in ancient history, art and centuries-old traditions, the monasteries in Tuscany are places to visit, which will not leave you indifferent and from which you can bring home new experiences, but also tangible things prepared by the expert hands of the monks.
Fonti immagini: toscana.info, certosadifirenze.it, camaldoli.it, monaci.org, santuariomontenero.org