Monte Oliveto Maggiore
To get to Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore, some effort needs to be made, which, however, will pay off handsomely: the most powerful monastery in Tuscany is located in one of the most beautiful parts of the Sienese province. Going from BUONCONVENTO towards the west, soon you reach a forest composed of pine trees, oaks and cypresses, and then enters the olive groves surrounding the monastery. From the east, by ASCIANO and SAN GIOVANNI D'ASSO, the road leads through a sparsely populated agricultural area with ever-changing colours and types of cultivation – beautiful Crete, "craters" or wetlands.
Monastery
When in 1463 r. Pius II visited Monte Oliveto Maggiore, was moved by the view of the Siennese honey brick architecture, embedded in forests and gardens, which the monks founded on the eroded chalk hills. The monastery was founded a century and a half earlier, w 1313 r., by Giovanni (later Bemardo) Tolomei, Sienese nobleman. He belonged to one of the richest merchant families in the region., but according to monastic legend he was blinded, he had visions of the Virgin Mary and renounced worldly life. With two companions, he came here — the place was then called the Accona Desert — and lived the life of a hermit., soon gaining followers. After six years, the Pope recognized his order — Olivetani, or White Benedictines — and over the next two centuries their headquarters became one of the most powerful monasteries in the country. This center lost its influence only after Napoleon banned its activities.. Today the monastery is maintained by a small group of monks, who supplement their state salary by running a very modern department for the maintenance of old books.
An avenue lined with cypresses leads to the abbey through the gate, topped with watchtowers and niches containing Della Robbia ceramics. The arrows point to the right to the grotto of Blessed Bemardo, a chapel built on the site, where Tolomei settled as a hermit.
The abbey itself is a great ensemble, of which, however, a significant part remains closed to visitors. There is a gift shop at the entrance, where you can buy herbal decoctions and medicines. Then you go out to Chiostro Granda, courtyard decorated with a series of frescoes depicting Life and. Bernard. The first one was placed on the eastern wall, just to the right of the door. He started working in 1497 r. Signorelli, who made nine paintings (in the middle of the cycle), then abandoned the work in favor of a more inspiring commission in the Cathedral of Orneto. His brushes are paintings, starting with the scene showing a collapsing house. His works were taken over by the inferior artist Antonio Bazzi, called II Sodom, which in years 1505-1508 made the others 27 Paintings. From the messages it appears, that he revived the abbey with his presence, bringing part of his menagerie , including badgers, depicted at the foot on the self-portrait on the third fresco. Many secular figures painted by Bazzi are characterized by a certain sensuality: especially young men (what to expect from the artist's nickname), as well as tempting monks "harlot women". The artist originally depicted them naked, but "clothed" after the prior's protests.
The church was in the eighteenth century. rebuilt in the Baroque style, and in our century added some excellent stained glass windows. The most magnificent monument are the choir stalls, inlaid by Giovanni di Verona (1503) architectural scenes, landscape and genre (the cat in the window is a nod to the menagerie of Sodom). From the courtyard of the monastery there are stairs leading to the library, also decorated by Giovanni; unfortunately since the theft of sixteen of the twenty codices in 1975 r. the library can only be viewed standing at the entrance.
Entrance to the monastery
The monastery is open to visitors from 9.15 do 12.30 and from 15.15 do 18.30(in winter to 17.30). At the gate there is a good café-restaurant, as well as a shelter, according to Benedictine custom. However, the minimum duration of stay is ten days (most guests stay for two to three months), and in the summer there are almost never places. If you want to try your luck, call 0577/707017.
Getting to Monte OHveto is a bit difficult. The nearest town served by bus is CHIUSURE, 2 km to the east: departure every day at 14.00 from Siena, the return of Fr. 19.00 (only Mon-Sat). Much easier to get to Buonconvento, 9 km to the southeast, or Asciano, 9 km to the north, from where there are more frequent train and bus connections to Siena. Walkers should set off from Asciano, because that road is nicer, but there are more chances to catch the opportunity with Buonconvento.
Buonconvento and Asciano
BUONCONVENTO is the most suitable place to stay for visitors to the monastery and travelers to the south. From a distance, the city looks polluted and dominated by industry, but in the center there is a perfectly preserved medieval district surrounded by walls. Nice to stay there, but inside the walls there is only one hotel-restaurant, Albergo Roma (0577/806021); two 35 000 L. The collegiate church on the same street has a classic Sienese altar painting by Matteo Giovanni, and further examples of the Sienese Renaissance can be found opposite, in the small Museo di Arte Sacra (wt., Wed. 10.00-12.00, sb. 10.00-12.00 i 14.00-16.00, nd. 9.00-13.00).
ASCIANO is also partially walled and hides the Museo di Arte Sacra (where the biggest attraction is St.. Michael fighting Ambrogio Lorenzetti's dragon) and a tiny Etruscan museum. Hotel here, Lo Spiedo (0577/718755), has twos after 30000 L.
For car owners and people leaving Monte Oliyeto early in the morning, alternative accommodation is Montalcino or San Quirico d'Orcia. Both towns have regular connections to Buonconvento.