Description of the attraction
The Abbey of Chiaravalle, also known as the Abbey of Fiastra, is a Cistercian monastery located between the towns of Tolentino and Urbisaglia in the Marche region of Italy. Surrounded by an extensive nature reserve, it is one of the best-preserved Cistercian abbeys in Italy.
In 1142, Guarnerio II, Duke of Spoleto and Marquis of Ancona, allocated a large allotment of land to the Cistercian monastic order between the Chienti and Fiastra rivers. In the same year, monks from the Chiaravalle Abbey of Milan arrived here and began work on the construction of the monastery. To do this, they used materials from the ruins of the nearby ancient city of Urbs Salvia, destroyed by Alaric in the 5th century. The monks, on the other hand, began to drain the swampy area inhabited by wolves, bears and deer.
For three centuries, the Abbey of Fiastra flourished. The monks divided their agricultural land into six plots, the lands of which were actively cultivated. The monks also participated in the economic, social and religious life of the region. The influence of the abbey grew - by the 15th century, 33 churches and monasteries were subordinate to it, and its history is recorded in 3194 manuscripts of the "Carte Fiastrenzi", now kept in Rome.
But in 1422 the abbey of Fiastra was plundered by the soldiers of Braccio da Montone, who destroyed the roof of the church and the bell tower and killed a large number of monks. And then, by order of the Pope, it was under the jurisdiction of a group of eight cardinals. In 1581, the abbey was handed over to the Jesuit order, after the abolition of which in 1773 the property passed to the noble Bandini family. The last member of the family, Sigismondo, handed over the management of the abbey to the Giustiniani-Bandini Foundation, on whose initiative a nature reserve was created to protect the natural and cultural heritage of these places. In 1985, the historical value of the abbey was recognized at the national level.
The abbey church is named after Santa Maria di Chiaravalle di Fiastra. Its imposing building is in the transitional Romanesque-Gothic style, typical of Cistercian architecture. Inside, it consists of three chapels and eight spans with Romanesque arches. The capitals of the columns were carved by the monks themselves.
The monastery next to the church still functions as a Cistercian society. It is notable for its beautiful cloister, rebuilt in the 15th century, around which you can see the secular brothers' refectory, cells, the chapter house and grottoes.
