Abbey of Saint Salvatore (ABBADIA S. SALVATORE)

Also known as: Italian: Abbadia San Salvatore, Abbazia di San Salvatore, Abbazia di San Salvatore al Monte Amiata, Badia di San Salvatore

ABBADIA S. SALVATORE - Benedictine abbey on the slopes of Monte Amiata, founded in 743; in 1230 it passed to the Cistercians, who held it until 1792. Recent restorations have given back its ancient appearance to the church, built in 1036 and enlarged in the 12th century, whose interior had been completely transformed in the

17th century. At the same time the crypt has been put in order, a remnant of the 8th-century building, with its 28 columns — until a few years ago covered with frescoes — notable for the singular forms of the capitals, among which predominate baskets of lotus and acanthus leaves alternating with figures of monsters. Also worthy of note are the 17th-century frescoes by Nasini, in the church and in the cloister, as well as a 13th-century wooden crucifix and a 14th-century bust-reliquary of Pope St. Mark.

BIBL.: sources

F. Brogi, Inventario degli oggetti d'arte, Siena 1897; C. Volpini, La basilica di S. Salvatore, Abbazia S. Salvatore 1929; G. B. Manucci, La cripta di Abbazia S. Salvatore, in Arte Cristiana, 18 (1930), pp. 34-41; I. Imberiadori, Benedettini e popolo nel Monte Amiata, in Bull. Senese di storia patria, (1940), pp. 39-50.

Maria Donati

@incollection{ec1_abbadia_s_salvatore, author = {Donati, Maria}, title = {Abbadia S. Salvatore}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {I}, pages = {19--20}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1948}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/abbadia-s-salvatore} }

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