We're talking of the Abbey of San Galgano, in Chiusdino.
This is a Cistercian monastery, and like Tintern in Galles, or Melrose in Scotland, it has no roof, and that's why we suggest an evening visit: it can be very suggestive to contemplate the starry sky through a church's ruins.
At the time of its building, in 1218, the abbey was provided of a big lead roof, sold in XIV century during a period of decadence that started when the friars lost the emperor Frederick II' s support. He was a great alchemist, passionate about the research of Holy Graal. As a matter of fact, inside the abbey there are many references to numerical symbolism, to Egyptian culture and to Holy Graal.
The builders followed S. Bernardo 's rule, that gave clear recommendations about the location of a Cistercian monastery: it had to be built near an important route (via Maremmana, in this case) to be connected with other monasteries, near a river ( Merse) to use its mechanical energy, and near swamps, to reclamate the land for agriculture.
The abbey may look familiar to you... Have you ever watched "The English patient" ? The love story between Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas was set here!
But who was Galgano, and what has he in common with king Arthur?
Actually, his history recalls much more S. Francis: He leads a dissolute life in his youth, till when the archangel Michael appears in dream to him, and persuades him to atonement and hermitage. In 1180, on Christmas day, on Montesiepi hill he inserted his sword in the ground, to mark his conversion transforming a weapon in a cross. Today you can still admire it, in the middle of Montesiepi round, a chapel on the hill surrounding the abbey, that was the place where Saint Galgano lived his last year, and where he was buried. This is a little church with round diagram, consisting in the apsis and a little chapel where you can admire Lorenzetti 's frescos, dated by 1334/36. The dome that covers the chapel is very elegant, made in succession of white and red stones.
There are some voices of a further connection between Montesiepi and Arthurian tales: according to a legend, this could be the place where the Holy Graal was hidden, in a misterious cellar, that may be revealed moving a certain stone... Why don't you come here and try to be the lucky explorer who finds the treasure?
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