- UNESCO
Photo: Lucbie at Italian Wikipedia, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Abbey / Monastery, 1000
Abbey of San Pietro al Monte
Abbey in Civate, Italy
At a glance
- Type
- Abbey / Monastery
- Period
- Middle Ages, 1000
- Style
- Romanesque architecture
- Elevation
- 662 m above sea level
- Protection
- Italian national heritage
- Coordinates
- 45°50′04″ N, 9°19′10″ E
- Address
- Via Privata del Pozzo, 23862 Civate LC
History and description
The Abbey of San Pietro al Monte is a small medieval monastic complex mostly dating to the 11th century, in Lombard Romanesque style, on a hill outside the town of Civate, province of Lecco, in northern Italy.
Founded in 796 as a small hermitage by the Lombard king Desiderius, the complex was considerably expanded in the 11th century, and then left alone in terms of major building and decorating. It was secularized in the aftermath of the French Revolution. Its 11th-century features remain very largely intact, including many frescos and carved reliefs.
In 2016 it was added to the "tentative" list to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of a group of eight Italian medieval Benedictine monasteries, representing "The cultural landscape of the Benedictine settlements in medieval Italy".
Description
The site, presently not occupied by religious, consists of three buildings: the Basilica of San Pietro, an oratory dedicated to St. Benedict, and what was the monastery. The buildings were part of the Benedictine abbey complex of Civate, the Basilica of San Calocero and the churches of San Nazario and San Vito. Two stone portals include carvings above them. The frescoes of the 1090s in the basilica of St. Peter, whose subject is the final apotheosis of Christ and the Triumph of the Righteous, following the Book of Revelation, makes it one of the most important Lombard Romanesque sites.
The ciborium in the basilica has important reliefs in stucco.
Both Anselm III, Archbishop of Milan from 1086 to 1093, and his successor Arnulf III (d. 1097) lived at the monastery for periods, using it as a refuge in the turbulent 1080s and 1090s; Arnulf III died and is buried there. The expansion no doubt owed much to their presence.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Abbey of San Pietro al Monte».
Timeline
- 1000Built
Events and people from Wikidata (CC0).
Photos
Getting there
CivateTrain, nearest
2.6 km as the crow flies
Abbey of San Pietro al MonteVia Privata del Pozzo, 23862 Civate LC
Valmadrera4.6 km
Aeroporto Militare Antonio Locatelli34.4 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore abbeys and monasteries in Lombardy
- Free 1st Sunday
- UNESCO
Frequently asked questions
Where is Abbey of San Pietro al Monte?
Abbey of San Pietro al Monte is in Civate, in the province of Lecco (Lombardy), Italy. Address: Via Privata del Pozzo, 23862 Civate LC. GPS coordinates: 45.83458, 9.31936.
How old is Abbey of San Pietro al Monte?
Wikidata dates it to 1000.
What else is there to see near Abbey of San Pietro al Monte?
Nearby you’ll find: Piani di Barra (3.7 km away), Museo etnografico dell'Alta Brianza (3.9 km away), Teatro Sociale (4 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
- San Pietro complesso — Lucbie at Italian Wikipedia, Public domain
- Abbazia di San Pietro al Monte di Civate (LC) — Drue 2010, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Civate - Abbazia di San Pietro al Monte — Mario Falcetti, CC BY 4.0
- Porta d'entrata all'Abbazia di San Pietro al Monte di Civate (LC) — Drue 2010, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Veduta Abbazia di San Pietro al Monte di Civate (LC) — Drue 2010, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Civate - Chiesa di San Pietro al Monte - (1) — Polloscheggia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Civate - Chiesa di San Pietro al Monte - 2023-09-06 07-36-25 001 — Ottantafame, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Civate - Chiesa di San Pietro al Monte - 2023-09-06 07-45-31 001 — Ottantafame, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Civate - Chiesa di San Pietro al Monte - 2023-09-06 07-46-09 001 — Ottantafame, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences