Photo: Alessandro Antonelli, CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
- Type
- Abbey / Monastery
- Period
- Middle Ages, 1218
- Style
- Romanesque art
- Protection
- Italian national heritage
- Coordinates
- 42°25′49″ N, 12°45′35″ E
History and description
The Abbey of San Pastore is a partially ruined former Cistercian monastery located in the province of Rieti in the countryside between Contigliano and Greccio. It is part of the "path of Francis," the pilgrimage route that unites the four Franciscan sanctuaries in the Sacred Valley; the via Benedicti, a route that unites Benedictine places in central Italy; and finally the cammino dei Templari, a route that concerns the Knights of the Temple.
Story
The Abbey of San Pastore traces its origins to an earlier structure: the Abbey of San Matteo de Monticulo, which stood on the Hill of Shepherd, a small rise in the Piana Reatina near the lake known as Montilacu, named for the hill of Monticchio that stood in the center of the lake.
The primitive abbey was founded in 1137 when Bernard of Clairvaux sent a colony of monks to Rieti headed by the holy abbot Balduino: they settled in Monticulo, where a structure of the Benedictine order already existed.
The abbey soon became so important that in May 1205, it received as a gift from the municipality of Rieti all the lands located in the surroundings.
In 1218, a nucleus of friars from the Abbey of Santa Maria di Casanova was sent to reform the monastery.
The Abbey of San Matteo was penalized by the unhealthy environment of Monticchio. At that time, due to the obstruction of the Curiana Quarry, the Piana Reatina had once again been invaded by the lacus Velinus (then called the Lake of Rieti). This prompted the monks to seek a location farther from the valley floor, so on March 14, 1234, at the springs of Santa Susanna, Cardinal Goffredo Castiglione (future Pope Celestine IV) ratified a contract by which the abbey was moved to the area of San Pastore, in which a corte, a group of houses with a church, had already been known to exist since the 8th century.
The construction of the abbey was directed by the architect Mastro Anselmo and began on the morning of May 5, 1255, under the rule of Abbot Andrew, Prior Robert, and Vice Prior Palmiero; this information comes from two tombstones on the site until the 1930s, which were believed to have been stolen but were instead recently found at the bottom of a well. By 1264 the church had been completed.
The abbey was at first very rich and powerful and contributed to the expenses for the maintenance of roads and bridges of the municipality of Rieti. …
Description
The abbey is located on the western edge of the Piana Reatina, perched on the Monti Sabini, in the municipal territory of Contigliano but a short distance from Greccio. It can be reached from Spinacceto (a hamlet of the latter municipality), where "via San Bernardo da Chiaravalle," a dirt road that climbs through a pine forest to the abbey, departs from the municipal road to Greccio. It can be visited only after contacting the managers.
The abbey is built around a cloister and includes the church, chapter house, parlor, sacristy, and abbot's apartment. Also to the east is a small Baroque apartment, made in 1686 by the abbot, Cardinal Fulvio Astalli. The bell tower, at the rear of the church, dominates the Piana Reatina and was also intended to play a role of defense and observation; the year 1292 and the name of the bell founder, Dominicus Urbevetanus, are engraved on the main bell.
Although recently restored, during its long neglect, the abbey was despoiled of many of its decorations.
According to Negri, the abbey of San Pastore is an example of "Cistercian achievement of a still archaic cut because of the continuous and consistent use of stylistic features ascribable to the Order's first construction phase, such as the pointed barrel vault on the apsidal part (and perhaps on the entire church), the round arches in the chapter house, and the ogives always in a straight section, which refer to other Italian churches of the period-Falleri, Tre Fontane, San Nicola di Agrigento."
The current form of the cloister dates from 1638 when the Lateran Canons restored it.
The chapter house has two mullioned windows and is entered using a pointed arch door. The ceiling consists of large cross vaults, which rest not on counter-pillars but on large corbels; traces of votive frescoes from the 14th century can be seen on the vaults.
The abbey church has no real facade and is entered through two entrances: the main one on the left flank (north side) and the other on the right flank (south side), which leads into the monastery cloister. …
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «San Pastore».
Timeline
- 1218Built
Events and people from Wikidata (CC0).
Photos
Getting there
ContiglianoTrain, nearest
2.6 km as the crow flies
San Pastore
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore abbeys and monasteries in Lazio
- Free 1st Sunday
Frequently asked questions
Where is San Pastore?
San Pastore is in Contigliano, in the province of Rieti (Lazio), Italy. GPS coordinates: 42.43028, 12.75972.
How old is San Pastore?
Wikidata dates it to 1218.
What else is there to see near San Pastore?
Nearby you’ll find: Museo Internazionale del Presepe (1.7 km away), Greccio (2.3 km away), Villa romana di Cottanello (7.5 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 9 photos
- Abbazia di San Pastore (Contigliano) chiesa 02 — Alessandro Antonelli, CC BY 3.0
- Abbazia di San Pastore - Interni — Marco Grifoni, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Abbazia di San Pastore (Contigliano) chiesa 01 — Alessandro Antonelli, CC BY 3.0
- Abbazia di San Pastore (Contigliano) dal sentiero 01 — Alessandro Antonelli, CC BY 3.0
- Abbazia di San Pastore (Contigliano) dalla strada provinciale 01 — Alessandro Antonelli, CC BY 3.0
- Contigliano - Abbazia di San Pastore - 2023-09-06 23-27-49 001 — Claudiacol, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Contigliano - Abbazia di San Pastore - 2023-09-06 23-50-21 001 — Claudiacol, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Contigliano - Abbazia di San Pastore - 2023-09-28 15-51-03 001 — Monica Orsini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Contigliano - Abbazia di San Pastore - 2023-09-28 15-57-03 001 — Monica Orsini, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences