Paradoxplace Italy Spain Portugal France Britain Photo & History Galleries
Paradoxplace European Abbey and Cathedral Pages
Italian
Abbey, Monastery, Cathedral and Church Photo & History Page Links
Paradoxplace Architecture, Art and History of the Medieval Christian Church Page Links
Medieval French Pilgrimage Roads
The Via Francigena - Pilgrims' Road to Rome
The Camino - Spanish Pilgrimage Road(s) to Santiago de Compostela
Cathedral and Abbey Page Links for
Britain France Spain & Portugal
Back to Italy Photo & History Pages
Italian Cathedrals, Basilicas and Churches are also included in the various
Italian Cistercian Abbeys
(marked below with an * asterisk)
VENETO, LOMBARDIA, PIEMONTE & EMILIA ROMAGNA (NORTHERN ITALY)
Cistercian Abbeys below are marked with an * asterisk
Venice Photo and History Pages
Links to church pages including San Marco, I Frari, Santo Stefano, San Zaccaria, Santa Maria della Salute, San Giorgio del Greci, San Polo, San Giacomo dall'Orio, Santa Maria dei Miracoli, Madonna dell'Orto, Santa Maria del Giglio
Venice
Last Supper paintings from Venice's Refectories
Ravenna
Most recent photos of Ravenna mosaics, Basilica di San Vitale, The Ravenna Baptisteries, Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Basilica di San Giovanni Evangelista
Padova
Bergamo
Chiaravalle della Colomba *
Then and now a most interesting Cistercian Abbey (Chiaravalle translates to Clairvaux) with a delightful hotel in the old Palazzo of the Commendatory Abbot.
Fontevivo *
Cistercian Abbey, now a parish church with restaurant / hotel in the cloisters / refectory
Morimondo *
Cistercian Abbey (daughter of Morimond in Burgundy), now a parish church. The clever Commune are renovating the monastery and cloisters for their offices.
Certosa di Pavia
In your face statement of the wealth and taste of the Visconti and Sforza Dukes of Milan - also a Carthusian Abbey, now looked after by Cistercians.
Cistercian Abbeys below are marked with an * asterisk
Florence's Churches
Florence's Last Suppers
Last Suppers in the Refectories of Florence's Renaissance Monasteries
Certosa di Firenze
Florence's Carthusian Abbey, now home to Cistercians
Badia Fiorentina
The early medieval Florentine abbey which used to own most of the town (and much much more!).
Vallombrosa
The original Vallombrosian monastery site, high in the mountain pine forested hills SE of Florence.
Badia a Passignano
Picture postcard Vallombrosian monastery, now Benedictine, in central Chianti.
Siena's Duomo
Certosa di Siena
Siena's Carthusian Abbey, now part of the University of Siena.
Torri
The only remaining intact Romanesque cloisters in Tuscany - limited opening times but well worth a special effort to see what the cloisters of Sant'Antimo, San Galgano and others might have looked like, and to understand what the Renaissance destroyed.
Sant'Antimo
Very old luminously beautiful travertine Benedictine abbey in classic Tuscan landscape. Built in early 1100s to a design based on the 1000s French pilgrimage Eglise Saint Etienne de Vignory and not suffering from "improvements", now looked after by Gregorian chanting Augustinian monks.
San Galgano *
Cistercian abbey, now a roofless but fully walled and well maintained gothic ruin + a beautiful little earlier and separate hermitage with Galgano's sword embedded in a rock
Monte Oliveto Maggiore
UMBRIA & LE MARCHE (CENTRAL ITALY)
Cistercian Abbeys below are marked with an * asterisk
Gubbio
Perugia
Assisi
Spoleto
Orvieto
Chiaravalle di Fiastra *
Then and now a Cistercian Abbey (Chiaravalle translates to Clairvaux) near the east coast of central Italy.
Churches of Rome
LAZIO & ABRUZZO (SOUTH CENTRAL ITALY)
Cistercian Abbeys below are marked with an * asterisk
Montecassino
Saint Benedict's second major abbey and monastery, completely rebuilt after being destroyed by USAAF bombs in WWII (read the story).
Casamari *
Then and now a fully operational Cistercian abbey and monastery
Fossanova *
Cistercian abbey modeled on Clairvaux and probably the best existing likeness to Clairvaux. Now home to Franciscan friars minor.
Anagni
Birthplace of Innocent III, Boniface VIII and several other Popes.
Subiaco
Near Subiaco is Saint Benedict's original hermitage and atmospheric monastery, and down the road is the convent founded by his twin sister, S Scholastica, not so atmospheric.
San Clemente
Benedictine abbey in east central Italy, now renovated as a state museum. Memorable faces and Romanesque beasts on portico capitals and tympanum, and pulpit, ciborium and paschal candle inside. Easy to visit by car as it's beside a junction of the magnificently engineered A25.
SOUTHERN ITALY AND SICILY
Puglia Cathedrals
Link to "Rosoni" - the amazing wagon wheel rose windows of Puglia
Trani Cattedrale
Bitonto Cattedrale
Troia Cattedrale
Otranto Cattedrale
Sicily
Palermo
Monreale
Cefalu Duomo
Links to other Paradoxplace pages
All original material on this site © Adrian Fletcher 2000-08. The contents may not be hotlinked, or reproduced without permission.