Week 4: L'Abbazia di San Galgano

Saturday, September 26th dawned as a picture perfect day for CET Siena's excursion to the San Galgano Abbey; the sky was clear and the temperatures were unseasonably warm. The oldest of the two structures onsite, the Montesiepi Chapel, dates back to the 12th century and features an authentic "sword in the stone," which the abbey's founder, San Galgano, is said to have plunged into a rock in the year 1180 in order to have an altar on which to pray. Following the black plague of the 1300's, the abbey gradually lost inhabitants until the year 1474, when its remaining monks transferred to a different site in nearby Siena. In the centuries that followed the conditions of the abbey worsened, and over time both its roof and bell tower were completely lost. The Montesiepi Chapel remains in working condition to this day. The students spent the afternoon exploring the area around the abbey and the chapel and enjoying some time relaxing in the Tuscan countryside. It was truly the ideal activity for an Indian summer Saturday afternoon.