GOLETO ABBEY

The abbey was founded in the 12th century by St. Guglielmo of Vercelli - a hermit from Lombardy who was apparently very active in the area since he also founded the abbey of Montevergine near Avellino! The Abbey of Goleto was home to a mixed community of monks and nuns, under the direction of an abbess. The religious complex went through a long period of abandonment from 1807 onwards, until its recent rebirth thanks to the Benedictine monk Lucio Maria De Marino, who shook people's consciences and managed to save this endangered architectural and spiritual heritage. Since 1990 the abbey has been home to a community of Friars Minor. The imposing remains of this stone complex emerging in the countryside are still very suggestive. The Chiesa del Vaccaro, named after its architect, Domenico Antonio Vaccaro (18th century), has been stripped of its roof and is now open to the sky, but the two symmetrical access ramps, the entrance arches, the remains of the stucco decorating the walls, and the beautiful pavement can still be admired. The massive Febronia Tower was built in 1152 using blocks salvaged from a Roman mausoleum; ancient bas-reliefs are still visible. The transition from Romanesque to Gothic art is noticeable in the lower atrium, from which the different spaces of the monastery were articulated. Lastly, do not miss the chapel of San Luca, built in the 13th century to house a relic of the eponymous saint. The 17th century frescoes that covered it have only been partially preserved.