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Abbadia San Salvatore
 
 
 
   

Abbadia San Salvatore lies on the edge of extensive chestnut woods covering the eastern side of Monte Amiata and is one of the oldest monasteries in Tuscany. In the mediaeval period, it was an important station on the Via Francigena, the pilgrim route from northern Europe to Rome. The picturesque medieval borgo or village round the monastery has one of the best preserved mediaeval centres of Tuscany. It preserves its outer walls and streets intact, with medieval and Renaissance houses of locai grey stone.

From an urban point of view three are the areas that characterize the village. The historic centre develops around the Abbey which was at a later stage surrounded by the medieval hamlet. Between the XIX and the XX century the new part of the village was built which includes the mining area and extends down the steep flanks of the mountain.

The historic and social events of the village are closely linked to the existence of the Abbey of San Salvatore, religious centre that played a fundamental role in the christianization of the mountain. The Benedettine abbey, which was immensely rich and powerful, was founded in 743 by the Lombard king, Ratchis, on the spot where he saw a vision. A short time after its foundation it became the most important abbey of Tuscany. At the peak of its temporal and spiritual powers in 1035 the abbey was rebuilt and reconsecrated by Abbot Winizzo. There followed a period of decline when it carne under the dominion of Siena in 1347, and evenlually was incorporateci into the Medici state in 1559. In the 16th century the single interior nave, a characteristic Latin cross, was whole modernized. Not to be missed is the visit to the crypt which is built on a Latin cross floor plan and has 13 small naves outlined by 36 columns all different from each other with capitals characterized by Romanesque sculptures. The monastery was suppressed by grand-duke Leopoldo II in 1783, and most of its treasury and archives were removed to Florence. A Benedictine community was reinstalled here in 1939.

We reach the medieval hamlet through the Porta Castello also known as Porta della Badia, so called because it linked the medieval hamlet to the abbey. Other attractions in the town include the medieval borough, the Palazzo della Potesta (15th century) and the church of Santa Croce.

Among the churches outside the village walls that are worth mentioning is the Madonna dei Remedi (17th century) where since the high middle ages a tabernacle with a painted madonna is considered to be miraculous. On the road leading to the mountain instead, we find the church of the Madonna del Castagno (16th century) built in place of a votive chapel dedicated to the Madonna. Outside the village, surrounded by chestnut trees, is the small oratory of the Chiesa dell'Ermeta which houses a carved wooden crucifix regularly worshipped by the local people.

Abbadia San Salvatore prides a famous traditional festival, coming back for a thousand years, Fiaccole della Notte di Natale.

Weekly market on the 2nd and 4th thursday of the month.

Comune

Map Abbadia San Salvatore pdf

www.geoplan.it | Map Abbadia San Salvatore url

Museum of the Abbey of San Salvatore
Via del Monastero 42.
Works of sacred art of great value are displayed, among which a copy of the Amiata Bible reprinted in its original form.

The Abbadia San Salvatore Mining Museum
The mining museum, housed in the old clock tower building, hosts a rich collection of minerals, equipment, work tools and photographs that tell the story of mercury and of the communities whose stories are closely linked to it: from the Neolithic populations, the Etruscans and the Romans, to the modern age.

Parco Museo Minerario di Abbadia San Salvatore | Piazzale Rossaro (mining area)
It is located in the mining area and it recreates, through reproductions, documents and various items, the history of the mercury, the miners and therefore the history of the community that helped shape the identity of the Amiata territory.
Open every day: 9.30-12.30 and 15.30-18.30 from 15 June to 2 November and on public holidays.

Abbadia San Salvatore is the largest town of Mount Amiata, surrounded by nature trails of extraordinary beauty and the thermal centres of Bagni San Filippo and Bagno Vignori.

 
 
   

Monte Amiata
 
   


Abbadia San Salvatore | Bagni S.Filippo, Balena Bianca


Bagni San Filippo is situated in a splendid position between the woods of Monte Amiata and the wonderful countryside of Val D'Orcia. It takes its name from St. Filippo Benizi, the prior of Florentine order of Mary's Servants. He retreated as a hermit in this Tuscan's corner in 1296 to keep away from being elected Pope at the Viterbo's conclave.
In this small hamlet huddled around its hot springs, even the eye gets relief from looking at the imposing calcareous formations of the Fosso Bianco, some sort of petrified cascade that, immersed in the forest, will leave you filled with wonder.
The archaeological researches were bringing to light that Bagni San Filippo was special estimated under the Romans as a thermal bath locality. Thermal baths were restored in the 16th century at the times of Cosimo I de Medici.
Its fame is particularly owing to the advantageous properties of its five hot springs reaching a temperature of 52º C. These sulphur waters have even changed the surrounding landscape which is white as a consequence of calcium's deposits. In many sites deposits have originated natural structures which look like waterfalls. The most important one is known as Balena Bianca close to Fosso Bianco, a stream running at Monte Amiata's feet in a succession of warm and white pools.

 

 

Walking in Tuscany

 
www.parcoamiata.it
preserves good hiking trails and maps.
 
Walking in Tuscany | Abbadia San salvatore-Piancastagnaio-Seragiolo | Sentiero 15 |11 km, 3 hours
 
From Abbadia, locality Villini, the pathway follows clockwise the Ring of the Amiata till the farm house Cipriana and, from this crossroads after another small climb it gets over the locality Le Pianaccie and climbs down towards the farm house Montarioso, then the locality Quaranta and it finally climbs down again along the left bank of the Minestrone ditch, till Pianacastagnaio.
From the locality Quaranta a detour leads in little more than 2 km and a hour on foot to Seragiolo. This stretch of the pathway is a short cut of the asphalt road (suitable for vehicles) joining the localities of Quaranta- Podere Pozzoni- Case Fioravanti.
   
Anello Amiata (Amiata's Ring) | (AA and path 10 and 11 on the map)
 


The ring surrounds the mountain essentially along the level curve of the 1200 m altitude and can be reached through many roads coming from Vivo d'Orcia, Seggiano, Casteldelpiano, Arcidosso, Santa Fiora, Piancastagniaio and Abbadia San Salvatore.
Through the pathways it is possible to reach the ring from many different directions: following the pathway number 10, starting form Arcidosso, with the pathway 11 from Vivo D'Orcia, with the pathway number 12 from Santa Fiora, with the pathway number 14 from Piancastagnaio and the pathway 15 from Radicofani.

The road winds up, except for some stretches of asphalt road, in a wide pathway, about 27 km long, which allows the wanderer to reach the ring in about 7 hours and without difficulty.
Starting from Abbadia San Salvatore, which is the nearest village to the Ring, and walking anti-clockwise from the seat of the Mine Museum, one meets the church of the Ermeta, then the Spring of the Acquapassante, the Refuge of Capo Vetra, a central crossroads on the Siena's slope of the Mount Amiata, the hillock Sasso dei Falchi, the Locality Madonna del Camicione, the hillock Pescina, the Capanna di Mecopapa, the Spring of the Monache, the Podere Cipriana and then once again the villas of Abbadia San Salvatore.
The pathway can be walked down on foot, but also on horseback, by bike (mountain bike) and, in winter, it turns into a cross-country ski slope.
The pathway offers the possibility of enjoying enchanting panoramas of the peak and of the valleys of the Orcia, Paglia and Fiora rivers and crosses wonderful beech forests, intermingled with chestnut trees, oaks and pine and fir tree reforestations. In the areas between the chestnut trees and the beech trees there are many native maples, hazels and hawthorns.
The excursionist crosses therefore many different landscapes and can enjoy the majesty of the maples, almost creating a boulevard in locality Poggio Lombardo or he ort she can pass under the magic vaults created by the beech trees in locality Aia dei Venti or enjoy, in winter, the sight of fairy snowed landscapes in locality Madonna del Camicione among the fir tree forests.

   
   
Abbadia San Salvatore borders Castel del Piano, Castiglione d'Orcia, Piancastagnaio, Radicofani, San Casciano dei Bagni, Santa Fiora, Seggiano.
 
 
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