Abbey of Sant'Antimo

Tradition credits the foundation to Charlemagne, and the present church was built in the twelfth century in a French Romanesque manner unusual in Tuscany, with an ambulatory and radiating chapels behind the altar. It is faced in local travertine and alabaster, and the alabaster is translucent enough that the interior takes on a honey colour when the sun is low. Capitals carved with Daniel in the lions' den and with foliage sit on the nave columns. The abbey declined and was suppressed in 1462, and stands now with no village around it, only olive terraces and vines in the Starcia valley below Montalcino.

History

The origins of the abbey are obscure, though excavation has found artefacts from late classical times, and the first Benedictine monastery dates from the time of Charlemagne; the abbey stands about 10 km from Montalcino, near the Starcia, a tributary of the Orcia (Wikipedia, Abbey of Sant'Antimo).

The main sights

• The alabaster stone - translucent facing that glows in low sunlight.
• The ambulatory - a French Romanesque plan rare in Tuscany.
• The carved capitals - Daniel in the lions' den among the nave columns.
• The isolation - an abbey standing alone in olive terraces.

When to go

April to October; early morning or late afternoon light gives the alabaster effect. It closes for a midday break. Sung offices are held on a published schedule.

What to expect

Opening hours are broken by a long midday closure. There is no village, cafe or facilities beyond a small shop. Access is by car on a narrow road.

Nearby

Montalcino lies north; the Val d'Orcia is east.

Key facts