"Gothic Delights: The Abbey of Saint Galgano" Siena Off The Beaten Path Tip by Georgio

The Abbey of San Galgano has been described as the greatest Gothic building in Italy, and you will understand why as dusk begins to fall: The grass that has replaced the flagstones of the nave darkens, the colors of the setting sun shine through the gaping windows, and the stars appear in the heavenly vault that has replaced the church's ceiling. It's hard to imagine anything more haunting, or dramatic.

The Abbey, built in the 12th and 13th centuries, was one of the Cistercians' two largest Italian foundations. Built to the Glory of God, it was sacked by the English condottiere Sir John Hawkwood and his mercenaries, and by 1397 the abbot was its only inhabitant. During the 15th century, the papacy assigned its income to a dissolute cardinal. The monks left and the building deteriorated. The bell tower is said to have collapsed during a Mass attended by locals.

In the early evening light, there is a timeless stillness and quiet about the place.

Though the church proper is still open to the elements, the cloisters and smaller buildings are being restored by a community of Benedictine Olivetan nuns, who also have a carefully tended vegetable path behind the structure, overlooked by a small statue of the Madonna.