Abbadia San Salvatore is a stone village that exudes a timeless atmosphere. Atmospheres from the past and exceptional landscape views accompany the many cultural and artistic attractions. In this guide, we will discover what to see in Abbadia San Salvatore, a picturesque village in the heart of Tuscany.
Where is Abbadia San Salvatore
Abbadia San Salvatore is the oldest and most populous village of Monte Amiata, in the province of Siena, Tuscany. At an altitude of 832 meters, a very ancient Benedictine abbey from the 8th century inspired the village’s name. The village sits amidst majestic chestnut forests, immersed in greenery.
The historic center of Abbadia San Salvatore showcases numerous examples of medieval architecture, particularly in its squares and historic buildings. Meanwhile, the nearby abandoned mercury mines belong to a more recent past. After their conversion, they are now a museum with paths for visits, events, and activities.
History of Abbadia San Salvatore
The Abbey of San Salvatore, which served as the village’s initial nucleus, is closely associated with the history of Abbadia San Salvatore.
The Monastery
The Lombard king Rachis founded the monastery of Abbadia San Salvatore in the second half of the 8th century as a tribute for a miracle obtained but also to better control the passage from Monte Amiata. With the growing importance of the abbey, the surrounding village grew as well. In the 10th century, a defensive wall fortified the village.
According to legend, Rachis witnessed a miraculous event, seeing the appearance of the Trinity at the top of a tree. The church’s original crypt was built around the miracle tree. In reality, the construction of the monastery was part of Rachis’s precise political project. It served to control traffic along the strategic Via Francigena and to promote the agricultural development of the area. In the following centuries, the abbey’s territorial power grew, while the village simultaneously developed, fortifying and equipping itself with a defensive wall.
The Middle Ages and Modern Era
At the beginning of the 10th century, the lands possessed by the Abbey of San Salvatore extended beyond the Amiata area and into Lazio. In this period of prosperity, the monastery remained linked to the authority of the Holy Roman Empire. The abbey enjoyed complete autonomy on civil, criminal, and religious matters.
After various events, which saw conflicts between the religious power of the monastery and the local counts, the territory passed into the hands of the Republic of Siena, which fortified the village with new walls and allowed further expansion. But this was a brief and ephemeral period. Until the 17th century, Abbadia San Salvatore remained an unchanged and isolated place. The village survived thanks to a simple economy based on timber and sheep farming. Things changed again at the end of the 18th century. In 1782, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopold II of Habsburg-Lorraine, suppressed the monastery and privatized the lands. This gave a new economic and social boost to the village.
The mines of Abbadia San Salvatore
At the beginning of the 20th century, the German engineer Friedrich Ammann discovered a mercury deposit in the area. Abbadia San Salvatore became a rich mining and industrial center, leading to an improvement in the quality of life for its inhabitants who already had access to electricity, telephone, and water services at the beginning of the 20th century.
The mines’ wealth also allowed for the building of a new town hall, hospital, and monuments. During fascism, Abbadia San Salvatore continued to thrive. In 1939, the monks were able to return to the abbey, which was in a state of abandonment. In the 1970s, the mercury mines saw an inexorable slow decline. International competition and the increasingly reduced application of the mineral at an industrial level affected the sector. The mining company closed in 1972.
What to see in Abbadia San Salvatore
Abbadia San Salvatore is one of the most suggestive villages of medieval Tuscany. It is rich in history, traditions, and a gastronomic offer. The walls enclose small jewels that are worth seeing. The surroundings offer excursions such as the one on Monte Amiata. In winter, it is possible to ski, thanks to the facilities and 12 km of ski slopes. Here’s what to see in Abbadia San Salvatore.
Abbey of San Salvatore
The Lombard king Ratchis wanted to build the Abbey of San Salvatore in 762 as a thank you for a miracle he had received. However, this is the legend of San Salvatore Abbey’s founding. More likely, the construction of the worship building was due to the Friulian duke Erfone, along with his brother and Benedictine religious. For centuries, the abbey guarded the Codex Amiatinus, or Amiatine Bible, which is the oldest manuscript copy of the Bible in its Latin version. Currently, the Codex is located in the Medicean Laurentian Library in Florence.
During the mid-17th century, certain renovations were made to the decorations and altar, incorporating the Baroque style. The restoration work in 1925 erased these changes. Today, the Abbey of San Salvatore presents a Romanesque style. The facade is hut-shaped with two towers of different heights. The interior shows an austere and sober aspect. Naked stone predominates, and there are also two 16th-century holy water fonts, while the crypt retains the original columns from the time of the foundation. Among the art, we remember the polychrome wooden Crucifix from the end of the 12th century, representing the “Christus Triumphans.” This term means that he is without the crown of thorns, with open eyes and mouth. Other works depict the Legend of Duke Ratchis and the Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew, both from the second half of the 17th century.
Crypt
The crypt features thirty-five columns with capitals, of which 24 are original. Each capital and column has different shapes and shows floral decorations and zoomorphic figures. The entire decorative apparatus is rich in symbolism. The crypt also showcases a unique architectural design for its era. It includes a harmonious alternation of columns with arches and groin vaults.
The restoration works of 1925 identified the first pillars. In 1963, researchers discovered additional columns and the crypt’s boundary wall. Since 1966, work has been underway to restore the structure to its ancient plan.
Other churches
The Church of San Leonardo dates back to the 13th century. Founded by Benedictine monks, its first mention in documents appears in 1296. The building features two beautiful medieval portals. The bell tower, however, dates back to the 18th century. The thirteenth-century Church of Santa Croce lost its original Gothic appearance in a fire that occurred at the end of the 18th century. The building preserves a 16th-century baptismal font and two 17th-century canvases.
The Church of the Madonna dei Remedi was erected at the beginning of the 17th century on the site of a tabernacle that was destroyed in the second half of the 16th century. Inside are frescoes and works of sacred art. The facade shows an arch that, once, was part of a porch. Finally, the Church of the Madonna del Castagno is from the first half of the 16th century and shows a beautiful Renaissance style. The discovery of an image of the Madonna hanging on a chestnut tree led to the construction of a simpler chapel on its site. Inside are works from the 16th and 17th centuries and an 18th-century high altar.
The Church of Santa Maria is located in the locality of Ermeta, in a place where, according to legend, the wife and daughter of the Lombard king Rachis retired in solitude. The first mention of the chapel dates back to 1296. Always at the center of fervent popular devotion, the building preserves a Crucifix, perhaps carved by a hermit of the 9th century, and a holy water font obtained from a medieval capital.
Historic buildings
In the historic center of Abbadia San Salvatore, the Palazzo del Podestà is the seat of the municipality. It is a 15th-century building. Located in the historic center is the deconsecrated Church of Sant’Angelo, which now serves as a residential dwelling. According to tradition, the foundation of the church dates back to 1313, but the building already appears in documents from the second half of the 13th century. The place of worship ceased its functions in the 18th century for static reasons.
Santa Maria ad Valetudinarium, on the other hand, is a historic medieval structure that dates back to 1000. The building housed monks, pilgrims, and sick people. Beginning in the mid-18th century, the building relinquished its original purpose and became a residence.
Museums of Abbadia San Salvatore
Among what to see in Abbadia San Salvatore are also its museums.
The Mining Park Museum
The Mining Park Museum recovers the entire heritage of the former mercury mine of Abbadia di San Salvatore. The exhibitions include the Multimedia Museum, which features interactive video environments within the suggestive spaces of the former Mechanical Workshop. You can board the miners’ wagon in the Level VII Gallery and journey 820 feet through the work settings. Lastly, the Documentary Museum of the Clock Tower houses the archive of the Monte Amiata Company.
The museum paths are four. The “Mercury” path winds through the structures where the processing and production of mercury took place. The “Miner” path touches the main workplaces of the miners, including the Mafalda Well and the Garibaldi Well. The “Director” path develops among the service environments of the plant, such as warehouses, the miners’ canteen, and the Director’s Villa. Finally, the “archaeology” path leads to the discovery of what surrounds the mining area and among the paths of the Garibaldi well.
Museum of Sacred Art
The Museum of Sacred Art is located in the Cloister of the Abbey of San Salvatore. It preserves the monastery’s heritage and displays some unique pieces. Among these are a Scots-Irish reliquary casket from the 8th century, the reliquary of Pope San Marco from 1381, and the chasuble attributed to Pope San Marco from the 8th–9th century. The building features a Sienese maiolica floor from the 15th century, originally belonging to the Church of the Madonna del Castagno.
Archaeological Sites
Voltole is an archaeological site from the medieval period on the Via Francigena, precisely along the State Road N° 2 Cassia. In the locality, there must have been two churches, respectively dedicated to Saint Benedict and Saint Peter. In the years 990-994, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sigeric, during his return journey from Rome, mentions Voltole in his itinerary as a stop and defines the locality: “Sce Petir in Pail.” Today, we have some ruins of medieval walls, a Gothic portal, and the remains of an oratory from the 18th century.
Callemala was a medieval village of Roman origin; it has now disappeared. It was also located on the Via Francigena, between the municipal territory of Abbadia San Salvatore and that of Radicofani. The name of the village often appears in documents relating to the Abbey of San Salvatore, starting in the 9th century. The 10th century undoubtedly saw the dedication of a church to Saint Christina. The Republic of Siena changed the Via Francigena route to pass through Radicofani in the second half of the 13th century, equipping it with a fortress that was easier to defend. Consequently, the village of Callemala became defenseless and excluded from the communication route. The inhabitants abandoned the village in favor of Abbadia San Salvatore, which indeed experienced demographic growth in that period.
Events in Abbadia San Salvatore
Abbadia San Salvatore is also famous for being the “City of Torches.” On Christmas Eve, people celebrate this ancient tradition. The “torches” are tall and thick piles of wood that are set on fire, creating a truly suggestive atmosphere. It appears that this ritual originates from a pagan matrix and predates the foundation of the Abbey of San Salvatore itself.
On the evening of December 24th, in front of the Palazzo del Podestà, the “blessing of the fire” takes place. After the solemn procession, each torch ignites with this fire. After lighting the torches, it is time for the singing of the pastorelle—the traditional Christmas songs.
The Offering of the Censuses is a medieval festival that takes place in the streets of the historic center of Abbadia San Salvatore on the second weekend of July. The inhabitants of the village faithfully reproduce settings of the 13th century. Squares and streets welcome taverns, crafts and arts shops, markets, musicians, and jugglers. In the military camp, challenges, duels, and fire shows follow one another. Its most important part is the procession to the Abbey to give the abbot gifts for land protection.
Attractions in the surroundings of Abbadia San Salvatore
The Cross of Monte Amiata
Among the things to see in Abbadia San Salvatore is Monte Amiata. An excursion leads to its main attraction: the monumental cross located at the summit. This structure measures 73 feet in height and rests on a base of 26 x 26 feet. To celebrate the Holy Year of 1900, Pope Leo XIII had twenty monuments erected on the peaks of various Italian mountains. The crosses were to celebrate redemption—one for each century passed. The cross on Monte Amiata was the ninth one.
From 1900 to 1910, mules transported four tons of wrought iron to the summit for the cross’s construction. The style of the monument is that of the Belle Epoque. There are several paths to reach it; alternatively, you can take a comfortable chairlift in the locality of Cantore and Macinaie.
Discover fascinating facts and tales about Abbadia San Salvatore.
Here are some curiosities and anecdotes about Abbadia San Salvatore
- Origin of the Name. The establishment of Abbadia San Salvatore’s abbey in 743 A.D. significantly shaped its history. The village’s name originates from the Savior-dedicated abbey, one of the most significant monastic centers during that period.
- The Abbey and its Scriptorium. The Abbey of San Salvatore was known for its scriptorium, where monks copied and decorated manuscripts. They contributed to the preservation of culture and knowledge during the Middle Ages. Here was born the famous “Codex Amiatinus,” one of the oldest complete copies of the Bible in Latin.
- The Mercury Mines. For many years, Abbadia San Salvatore served as a significant hub for the extraction of cinnabar, the mineral that yields mercury. The mines operated from 1897 until 1972.
- Monte Amiata. Monte Amiata, an ancient extinct volcano that dominates the village, is rich in forests, hot water springs, and naturalistic paths. The mountain is a paradise for nature lovers, with opportunities for trekking, mountain biking, and, in winter, skiing and snowboarding.
- The Patron Saint’s Festival. Every year, on September 19, Abbadia San Salvatore celebrates the feast of its patron saint, Pope San Marco. The cult of the saint could date back to the foundation of the Abbey of San Salvatore. The Museum of Sacred Art preserves the reliquary bust of 1381, which houses the pope’s head.
- The Legend of Monte Labbro. Near Abbadia San Salvatore is Monte Labbro. David Lazzaretti, the “prophet of the Amiata,” chose this place to establish his Giurisdavidic community. His enigmatic figure and his preachings not only attracted followers but also caused controversy, eventually becoming part of the local folklore.
Typical Cuisine of Abbadia San Salvatore
The cuisine of Abbadia San Salvatore reflects the traditions of the Tuscan mountains, with dishes based on porcini mushrooms, chestnuts, game, and pecorino cheese. Among the typical dishes of Abbadia San Salvatore are mushroom soup, recipes based on chestnuts, and salty anise biscuits, widespread throughout the Monte Amiata territory and characterized by a typical intertwined 8 shape. As in all of southern Tuscany, the most typical pasta is represented by pici, seasoned with truffle or mushrooms.
According to popular tradition, Ricciolina is the most typical sweet in the village. It features shortcrust pastry and a filling of almonds, ricotta, and chocolate. The 20th century saw the invention of this dessert. The addition of a garnish with a meringue curl and chocolate is more recent.
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Tourist information office Abbadia San Salvatore
The Tourist Information and Reception Office (IAT) is located on Via XXIV Maggio 4.
Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the office is open from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. From August 1 to August 25, the office is open everyday from 10 a.m. to 12p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.. In July and August, the afternoon hours are from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The hours are 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. every day between the second and third weekends of October. From December 8 to January 6, the daily program is 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Every public holiday is recognized from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Phone: 0577 770361; Email: info@cittadellefiaccole.it
