Located just 9km away from the Tuscan hill town of Montalcino, there is a place where you can travel backwards in time to the middle-ages. A Benedictine Monastery called Sant' Antimo where monks sing mass in Latin, sell lavender wands and postcards to raise money and make some of the best wine and olive oil in the region...
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| Tuscan Countryside |
The countryside around the small Tuscan hill town of Montalcino is dotted with vineyards, olive groves and tall cypress tree-lined roads. Just like you would imagine what Tuscany would look like in books and movies. But we were not here for the vineyards or views...we were here for authentic Gregorian chanting! Abbazia di Sant' Antimo is a small but ancient Abbey on the valley floor of the Val d' Orchia or "valley of Gold" run by Benedictine monks as it had been for over a millennium.
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| Sant'Antimo |
The monastery looked beautiful as you approached it through vineyards full of Brunello grapes. The abbey was built on the site of an ancient Roman villa, but it was good ol' Charlemagne who put Sant'Antimo on the map. According to legend Charlemagne was passing through in 781 on his way back to France from Rome along the Via Francigena. Members of his entourage were struck by the plague, and they stopped here to rest. During the night, an angel appeared to Charlemagne and told him to pick a certain type of grass, dry it and then make an infusion with it. He did this and added the potion to some wine, and his soldiers recovered! The "grass" is now known as Carolina Geranium and grows as a weed all over Europe and North America. Now, I don't know about an angel that gives herbal medicine advice (it was more likely a village wise woman) but whatever the case Charlemagne promised an abbey to be built here and by the year 814 Sant' Antimo was constructed.
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| Interior All Aglow |
Because the Abbey was built along the on the Via Francigena or the pilgrim's route from France to Rome, the abbey became the most wealthy and powerful in Tuscany. Much of the monastery you see today is from the 12th century, but the apse is still the original building. The bell tower and bell are dated to 1219! The power of the abbey declined with the power of Montalcino after Siena lost to the Florentines in the 13th century. Benedictine monks have been inhabiting Sant'Antimo for 1200 years, and when we visited the abbey, it was occupied by Benedictine Monks from France. The Gregorian chant was the monk's way of praying, and the mass is sung in Latin several times a day, and open up the abbey for those who wish to attend the service. The vespers schedule is posted on the Sant'Antimo abbey's website.
NOTE: AS OF NOVEMBER 2015 THERE ARE NO LONGER MASS WITH GREGORIAN CHANT
If you are interested in hearing Gregorian Chant, you must head to the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, halfway between Montalcino and Sienna. For more information and the prayer schedule head to Abbazia di Monte Oliveto.
When we arrived at the abbey of Sant' Antimo, there was ample parking directly outside the church, which was great because we were running a bit late for the mass sung in Gregorian chant. Stepping into the coolness of the Abbey, the smell of the lavender sachets the monks were selling at the front of the Monastery filled the whole church with the sweet aroma of the countryside. The lavender, the candlelight and the hauntingly beautiful singing all came together in an effect that made us feel that we had slipped back through the centuries.
TIP: Parents; you may want to explain the Benedictine mass to kids, so they are prepared for the ceremony.
Wander around inside the interior of the church which is all decked out in alabaster and travertine marble. Mornings are a glorious time to visit the abbey when the light streams in the windows, giving the church an otherworldly glow.
Another thing Liam was not prepared for was the crypts in the old churches. When he followed me downstairs into the tomb of Sant'Antimo. Saint Anthimus of Rome was a Christian priest from Turkey who came to Rome and was martyred in 303. Sant'Antimo was already venerated in Rome, and many pilgrims went to his tomb to worship, so Charlemagne decided to move his remains to Tuscany along the pilgrim route to Rome.
This was the summary of the conversation with Liam: " I thought there were dead guys in the church," he said relieved that the crucifix was only a carving. "Don't worry dear." I answered, "All the dead guys are down here in the crypt, and they've been dead for over 900 years" is the only reassurance I could provide. "What kind of people go to church with dead guys!?!" Liam replied wholly horrified and, he ran outta there in a flash! Again, I never thought to tell Liam ahead of time what to expect in ancient churches in Italy.
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| Ancient Olive Trees |
After exploring the crypt, we headed back into the sunshine for lots of photos and a picnic in the olive groves. We had bread, salami, Pecorino fresco cheese (a soft sheep milk cheese) and Montalcino honey; and of course our wine from Montalcino. But damn it, we forgot the wine bottle opener! NOOOOOOOO!!!!! TIP: keep a wine bottle opener in your purse or car when in Tuscany; because WINE HAPPENS. A lot.
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| Brunello Grapes |
