Abbey Sant'Antimo, Tuscany/Italy (2017) – In the middle of pure Tuscan landscape, within rolling hills, vineyards and olive trees, there it is, the famous Abbey of Sant'Antimo. The former Benedictine monastery is located about 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) south of the home of the famous "Brunello" wine, Montalcino. After the Abbey was inhabited for centuries by Benedictine monks, from 1992 on the abbey was populated by the Premonstratensian Canons Regular, a group of Roman Catholic priests, brothers and sisters. Since the beginning of 2016 the occupants of the monastery are a community of monks of the Olivetan Benedictine order. A trip to the "Abbazia Sant'Antimo" is well worth it, even if you are not a Catholic, a believer, a churchgoer or simply not so crazy about churches. Sant'Antimo is one of the most beautiful examples of Romanesque architecture, plus the landscape leading to and around the monastery is a real treat for the eyes.

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Romanesque abbey within a field of olive trees – Sant'Antimo is well worth the trip

Wolfgang Stocker