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Abbey / Monastery, 13th century
Abbey of San Galgano
Cistercian monastery in Tuscany, Italy
At a glance
- Type
- Abbey / Monastery
- Period
- Middle Ages, 13th century
- Style
- Gothic architecture
- Dedicated to
- Galgano Guidotti
- Coordinates
- 43°08′58″ N, 11°09′18″ E
History and description
The Abbey of Saint Galgano was a Cistercian Monastery founded in the valley of the river Merse between the towns of Chiusdino and Monticiano, in the province of Siena, region of Tuscany, Italy. Presently, the roofless walls of the Gothic style 13th-century Abbey church still stand.
Nearby are the chapel or Eremo or Rotonda di Montesiepi (1185), the tomb of Saint Galgano and the purported site of his death in 1181, a sword said to have been driven into a stone by Galgano, and a chapel with frescoes by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.
History
The abbey formed around the site of the former hermitage of Galgano Guidotti (San Galgano), and construction of the church began around 1220, and was completed some six decades later. The abbey grew in wealth and became allied with the Republic of Siena. Monks from the abbey routinely served as Camarlinghi di Biccherna, i.e. high magistrates of the main financial institution of the republic.
However within a century, the republic failed to protect it from roving condottieri, and John Hawkwood and his men despoiled the monastery beginning in 1363. By the end of the 14th century, only the abbot remained in the monastery.
The abbey stayed impoverished and kept decaying for nearly four centuries. Cardinal Giuseppe Maria Feroni was abbot from 1765 to 1767. In 1786, the campanile fell, taking with it the roof of the church. The ruins were looted. Some restorations occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries, but the church remains a ruin. The long tall nave with its windows and an apse rose window still stand. The abbey's chapter house and part of the scriptorium also remain.
The Rotonda chapel was restored in 1924 and retains its peculiar medieval shape, similar to earlier Ancient Roman mausoleums.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Abbey of San Galgano».
Timeline
- 13th centuryBuilt
- 1783Dissolved or destroyed
Events and people from Wikidata (CC0).
Getting there
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Nearby
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Frequently asked questions
Where is Abbey of San Galgano?
Abbey of San Galgano is in Chiusdino, in the province of Siena (Tuscany), Italy. GPS coordinates: 43.14942, 11.15506.
How old is Abbey of San Galgano?
Wikidata dates it to the 13th century.
What else is there to see near Abbey of San Galgano?
Nearby you’ll find: Villa Spannocchi (5.5 km away), Museo civico e diocesano di arte sacra di San Galgano (5.5 km away), Castello di Frosini (6.3 km away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 1 photos
- San Galgano Abbey - Exterior 2 — PaestumPaestum, CC BY 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences