During her painstaking work for the book "Abbazie e siti cistercensi in Italia 1120-2018" the Our friend Silvia leads us in Tuscany to know this cluniac abbey.

Also called Badia a Settimo, this evocative abbey is a place for peace and meditation.

We hope that you will go there for a visit, also to support the renovation of the convent.

A bit of history:

An oratory dedicated to San Salvatore is attested here form 10th century.
With the aim of better controlling the place, the Carolingian counts installed here the Cluniac Benedictine monks.
The abbey significantly increased in importance and wealth during the 11^th century and embraced the Vallumbrosan rule.
The Vallumbrosan rule ended in 1090, when the Cluniac monks regained control.
In 1236 Pope Gregory IX installed here the Cistercian monks coming from the abbey of San Galgano.
In order to prove the rectitude of the Vallumbrosan order and the corruption of the bishop Pietro Mezzarba, in February 1068 in front of the church Pietro Igneo faced the trial by fire^[1].
Thanks to the wealth of the abbey the Cistercian monks carried on the enlargement work until 1782.
Then the church was dedicated also to San Lorenzo and the monastic premises were sold to private individuals.
From 1891 to this day some renovation has been made but, sadly, the monastic premises still in private hands are neglected.

[1] Today the trial by fire is an interesting historical re-enactement

A note:

A peculiarity of the church is that, at the sunset of the summer solstice day, the sun shining through the rose window of the façade creates a halo of light around the Crucified of the altar (photo 45 by Renzo Susini).

For more info:
www.badiadisettimo.it
wikipedia: Abbazia dei Santi Salvatore e Lorenzo a Settimo
www.scandiccicultura.eu: abbazia di badia a settimo
breve storia dell'abbazia
Silvia Testa, Piero Rimoldi: Abbazie e siti cistercensi in Italia 1120-2018, pag. 320

Thanks to the Mrs. Silvia Testa for the permission of publishing the images