ABBAZIA DI VALLOMBROSA
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Immersed in a centuries-old forest, the Vallombrosa Abbey preserves intact the tranquility of the time.
What you're about to see, an imposing abbey, was once a small wooden hut built by Giovanni Gualberto, an 11th-century Florentine nobleman who, in 1036, decided to leave his luxurious life behind and isolate himself in the forest to devote himself to prayer. Since then, the convent has undergone many transformations, but today retains its noble appearance of the 16th and 17th centuries. The austere medieval façade features windows framed in pietra serena, a grey sandstone. The abbey church, whose bell tower dates back to the 13th century, houses important works of art, such as Lorenzo Lippi's painting Trinità. In 1950, Pope Pius XII elevated the church to the rank of minor basilica.
Also worth seeing is the museum, which exhibits works from the abbey, liturgical vestments, illustrated books and manuscripts, and the Antica Farmacia, where you'll find liqueurs, honey, sweets and other specialties.
In addition to the abbey and monastic complex, it's worth discovering the chapels, tabernacles and crosses scattered throughout the surrounding woods. Each illustrates episodes from the life of the founder Gualberto. We recommend the "Scalinata del Calvario" trail, which leads from the abbey to the place where hermit monks once retreated to pray in absolute silence.
Immersed in the greenery of a centuries-old forest, just an hour's drive from Florence (in the municipality of Reggello), Vallombrosa Abbey preserves intact the tranquillity of the past.
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