Territorial Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore
Monte Oliveto Maggiore (Latin: Sanctae Mariae Montis Territorialis Abbatia Oliveti Maiori ) is an abbey in Tuscany. As Territorial Abbey is associated with it an ecclesiastical territory.
- 3.1 The frescoes Luca Signorelli
- 3.2 The frescoes by Sodoma
Location
The abbey is located in Chiusure (village of Asciano) on a ridge in the Crete Senesi area south of Siena in Buonconvento. It was built in the midst of meadows and fields at the top of a steep valley. The actual monastery is built of red brick and is located in a sprawling park where the performs a cypress avenue. Above the monastery is the huge cistern.
Past and present
The Abbey of Monte Oliveto is the head monastery and the seat of the Abbot General of the Olivetans, a branch Benedictine Order. Today The Olivetans form one of 20 congregations of the Benedictine order, latin Congregation of St. Benedict Santi Montis Oliveti. The Office of Genralabtes is in personal union with the Abbot of Monte Oliveto Maggiore.
The founding document of the monastery dates back to 1319th The founder is considered the lawyer Giovanni Tolomei, a member of an important family from Siena. He decided at the age of 40 years, together with his two noble friends Patrizio Patrizi and Ambrogio Piccolomini to renounce the worldly life. The three moved to Tolomei goods on a ridge south of Siena back, led an ascetic life according to the rules of St. Benedict and took more followers on. In honor of Bernard of Clairvaux Giovanni took the monastic name Bernardo.
On March 26, 1319, the monks received the confirmation of the Bishop of Arezzo. 1344 the new Order was confirmed by the Pope. Tolomei and 80 brothers died of the plague in 1348. To avoid confusion with the same name monasteries, the abbey was later called ' Monte Oliveto Maggiore '.
The monastery came under his first monastery chiefs to large flowering, so that the powerful monastery of 1387-1514 could be built. The cypress forest laid the monks of the 14th century. 1765 Monte Oliveto was a exempte Abbatia nullius with its own bishopric similar territory. 1810, the monastery was abolished for a short time, and from 1866 to 1929 the Olivetans monks were tolerated only as a supervisor of the National Property. The Abbot General resided during this time in Settignano. The abbey is still inhabited by Olivetans in their white habit. The products of the associated farm are sold in the monastery's shop.
Abbots
- Ildebrando Polliuti (1899-1917)
- Mauro Maria Parodi (1917-1928)
- Luigi Maria Perego (1928-1946)
- Pietro Maria Romualdo Zilianti (1947-1970)
- Divo Angelo Maria Sabatini (1970-1986)
- Maurizio Maria Benvenuto Contorni (1986-1992)
- Michelangelo Riccardo Maria Tiribilli (1992-2010)
- Diego Gualtiero Maria Rosa (2010 -present)
Art
Famous Abbey is mainly because of the cloister and the three-story loggia. The cloister is decorated with a cycle of 36 frescoes by Luca Signorelli and Giovanni Antonio Bazzi Sodoma called. The floor to ceiling paintings from the Renaissance to describe the life of St. Benedict and are considered one of the most beautiful fresco cycles of the Renaissance. To protect the images, the arcade openings were sealed to the inner courtyard with lattice windows.
Court
In the cloister
Main Square
Refectory
Luca Signorelli's frescoes
We started the cycle by Luca Signorelli in 1497, but painted only to 1498. The theme of the whole work is the life of St. Benedict, as told Gregory the Great. Signorelli, however, did not hold in the selection of subjects of his frescoes in the chronological order of the biography.
Benedict raised the ousted from the wall Monk
Benedict receiving Totila
Benedict discovered Totilas deception
The frescoes by Sodoma
By far the larger part of the frescoes painted in 1505 Sodoma. In his 25 frescoes he turned mainly to the youth of Benedict.
Benedict announced the destruction of Monte Cassino
Benedict instructed two monks to establish a monastery
Benedict allows water to flow from a mountain top