Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Italy

The church was mentioned as early as the 11th century.It was extensively rebuilt in the 14th century.

The church was mentioned as early as the 11th century.It was extensively rebuilt in the 14th century. The most striking and oldest element is the bell tower, except for the crowning battlements, which were added during a 20th-century restoration.

Ice on the small pond under the old bridge near Frosini.

The "Abbey of San Galgano" was erected from about 1220 on, near the place, where San Galgano once had lived in a hermitage. Legends tell, that San Galgano had visions. In one vision he arrived accompanied by archangel Michael on top of the Monte Siepi, where he met Jesus and the twelve Apostles. San Galgano planted his sword in the ground, from where nobody could remove it. The Cistercian "Abbey of San Galgano" flourished only for a very short time, already during the 14th century roving mercenaries and plagues let the convent decline. Later the ruins were looted for building materials.

The "Abbey of San Galgano" was erected from about 1220 on, near the place, where San Galgano once had lived in a hermitage. Legends tell, that San Galgano had visions. In one vision he arrived accompanied by archangel Michael on top of the Monte Siepi, where he met Jesus and the twelve Apostles. San Galgano planted his sword in the ground, from where nobody could remove it. The Cistercian "Abbey of San Galgano" flourished only for a very short time, already during the 14th century roving mercenaries and plagues let the convent decline. Later the ruins were looted for building materials.

The "Abbey of San Galgano" was erected from about 1220 on, near the place, where San Galgano once had lived in a hermitage. Legends tell, that San Galgano had visions. In one vision he arrived accompanied by archangel Michael on top of the Monte Siepi, where he met Jesus and the twelve Apostles. San Galgano planted his sword in the ground, from where nobody could remove it. The Cistercian "Abbey of San Galgano" flourished only for a very short time, already during the 14th century roving mercenaries and plagues let the convent decline. Later the ruins were looted for building materials.

On the hill, neighboring the former "Abbazia di San Galgano" is the "Eremo di Montesiepi", erected over San Galgano´s tomb. Legends tell, that the knight Galgano Guidotti (later "San Galgano") had visions. In one vision he arrived accompanied by archangel Michael on top of the Monte Siepi, where he met Jesus and the twelve Apostles. Galgano Guidotti decided to live a pious life as a hermit and planted his sword in the ground, from where nobody could remove it. The handle of this sword can still be seen inside the rotunda. It is said, that many people have tried to steal the sword. There is even a mummified hand of a thief that tried to remove the sword. A few years after Galgano Guidotti had died in 1181, he got canonized. A pilgrimage started soon after - and the construction of the rotunda started.

It is proven, that the Abbazia di Sant'Antimo existed since Carolingian times. Legends (of course) know, that it was Charlemagne himself, who founded the abbey when he had left Rome, following the Via Francigena northward. The earliest document relating to the abbey is a land grant of Charlemagne´s son Louis the Pious from 813. One year after the 1117 earthquake the erection of the church of today started. At that time the powerful abbey was one of the largest landowners in the area. As sovereigns and imperial officials at the same time, they also levied taxes. The decline began with Siena's awakening striving for power, which conquered Montalcino in 1212. In the following decades, the property of the monastery shrank to a fifth. The church was never completed in the years that followed, as the complex construction probably exceeded the abbey's financial possibilities. A sign of decay is the unfinished facade. New religious ideas gained influence. The then new orders of the Franciscans and Dominicans, whose monasteries were not built in the cities, gained strength. The Benedictine wish to be able to follow the rule ora et labora in seclusion was pushed into the background. In 1462 Pope Pius II suppressed the abbey, annexed whatever was left - and handed it over to the Bishop of Montalcino-Pienza, who was his nephew. 1992 the abbey became an active monastery again with the arrival of a new congregation of Canons Regular of the Premonstratensian Order. The architecture seems influenced by churches in Burgundy. It looks a bit like a sibling of the church at Vignory in Champagne. Eagles and griffins on the lintel above the side portal.

It is proven, that the Abbazia di Sant'Antimo existed since Carolingian times. Legends (of course) know, that it was Charlemagne himself, who founded the abbey when he had left Rome, following the Via Francigena northward. The earliest document relating to the abbey is a land grant of Charlemagne´s son Louis the Pious from 813. One year after the 1117 earthquake the erection of the church of today started. At that time the powerful abbey was one of the largest landowners in the area. As sovereigns and imperial officials at the same time, they also levied taxes. The decline began with Siena's awakening striving for power, which conquered Montalcino in 1212. In the following decades, the property of the monastery shrank to a fifth. The church was never completed in the years that followed, as the complex construction probably exceeded the abbey's financial possibilities. A sign of decay is the unfinished facade. New religious ideas gained influence. The then new orders of the Franciscans and Dominicans, whose monasteries were not built in the cities, gained strength. The Benedictine wish to be able to follow the rule ora et labora in seclusion was pushed into the background. In 1462 Pope Pius II suppressed the abbey, annexed whatever was left - and handed it over to the Bishop of Montalcino-Pienza, who was his nephew. 1992 the abbey became an active monastery again with the arrival of a new congregation of Canons Regular of the Premonstratensian Order. The architecture seems influenced by churches in Burgundy. It looks a bit like a sibling of the church at Vignory in Champagne. The small apse on the left dates back to Carolingian times

It is proven, that the Abbazia di Sant'Antimo existed since Carolingian times. Legends (of course) know, that it was Charlemagne himself, who founded the abbey when he had left Rome, following the Via Francigena northward. The earliest document relating to the abbey is a land grant of Charlemagne´s son Louis the Pious from 813. One year after the 1117 earthquake the erection of the church of today started. At that time the powerful abbey was one of the largest landowners in the area. As sovereigns and imperial officials at the same time, they also levied taxes. The decline began with Siena's awakening striving for power, which conquered Montalcino in 1212. In the following decades, the property of the monastery shrank to a fifth. The church was never completed in the years that followed, as the complex construction probably exceeded the abbey's financial possibilities. A sign of decay is the unfinished facade. New religious ideas gained influence. The then new orders of the Franciscans and Dominicans, whose monasteries were not built in the cities, gained strength. The Benedictine wish to be able to follow the rule ora et labora in seclusion was pushed into the background. In 1462 Pope Pius II suppressed the abbey, annexed whatever was left - and handed it over to the Bishop of Montalcino-Pienza, who was his nephew. 1992 the abbey became an active monastery again with the arrival of a new congregation of Canons Regular of the Premonstratensian Order. The architecture seems influenced by churches in Burgundy. It looks a bit like a sibling of the church at Vignory in Champagne. There are many sculpted capitals along the nave. Here in the center depicting "Daniel in the lions' den", is best known, as it is attributed the the "Master of Cabvestany", whose artistic style is very dynamic and creative. The faces have almond eyes, a sharp nose, great ears, and a triangular shape. The fingers of the hands are long. The "Maître de Cabestany" ("Master of Cabestany") is known under this name since the 1930s when a tympanum and other carvings were found in Cabestany (near Perpignan). The carving had been used as "building materials" inside a wall of the local cemetery. Research started and so far more than 120 carvings of these origins, all carved within the second half of the 12th century, are known. The carvings are spread over an area between Tuscany in Italy, Southern France - and Catalonia in Spain. This led to the theory, that the "Maître de Cabestany" may not be a single master-carver, but a studio, where carvers learned this style.

It is proven, that the Abbazia di Sant'Antimo existed since Carolingian times. Legends (of course) know, that it was Charlemagne himself, who founded the abbey when he had left Rome, following the Via Francigena northward. The earliest document relating to the abbey is a land grant of Charlemagne´s son Louis the Pious from 813. One year after the 1117 earthquake the erection of the church of today started. At that time the powerful abbey was one of the largest landowners in the area. As sovereigns and imperial officials at the same time, they also levied taxes. The decline began with Siena's awakening striving for power, which conquered Montalcino in 1212. In the following decades, the property of the monastery shrank to a fifth. The church was never completed in the years that followed, as the complex construction probably exceeded the abbey's financial possibilities. A sign of decay is the unfinished facade. New religious ideas gained influence. The then new orders of the Franciscans and Dominicans, whose monasteries were not built in the cities, gained strength. The Benedictine wish to be able to follow the rule ora et labora in seclusion was pushed into the background. In 1462 Pope Pius II suppressed the abbey, annexed whatever was left - and handed it over to the Bishop of Montalcino-Pienza, who was his nephew. 1992 the abbey became an active monastery again with the arrival of a new congregation of Canons Regular of the Premonstratensian Order. The architecture seems influenced by churches in Burgundy. It looks a bit like a sibling of the church at Vignory in Champagne. The narrow nave impresses with its height of 20 meters.

It is proven, that the Abbazia di Sant'Antimo existed since Carolingian times. Legends (of course) know, that it was Charlemagne himself, who founded the abbey when he had left Rome, following the Via Francigena northward. The earliest document relating to the abbey is a land grant of Charlemagne´s son Louis the Pious from 813. One year after the 1117 earthquake the erection of the church of today started. At that time the powerful abbey was one of the largest landowners in the area. As sovereigns and imperial officials at the same time, they also levied taxes. The decline began with Siena's awakening striving for power, which conquered Montalcino in 1212. In the following decades, the property of the monastery shrank to a fifth. The church was never completed in the years that followed, as the complex construction probably exceeded the abbey's financial possibilities. A sign of decay is the unfinished facade. New religious ideas gained influence. The then new orders of the Franciscans and Dominicans, whose monasteries were not built in the cities, gained strength. The Benedictine wish to be able to follow the rule ora et labora in seclusion was pushed into the background. In 1462 Pope Pius II suppressed the abbey, annexed whatever was left - and handed it over to the Bishop of Montalcino-Pienza, who was his nephew. 1992 the abbey became an active monastery again with the arrival of a new congregation of Canons Regular of the Premonstratensian Order.

A document from Emperor Otto I, dated 964, contains the first recorded use of the name Acquapendentem which means "hanging water", from several waterfalls on the boundary between Lazio and Tuscany. Acquapendente was a stop along the Via Francigena in Italy. At the end of the 14th century, it was part of Siena. n 1449 it became an independent center within the Papal States. In 1649, Acquapendente became the seat of a diocese. The diocese continued in existence until 1986 when its territory was added to that of Viterbo. Though it is no longer a residential bishopric it is listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see. According to tradition, the founding of the church goes back to Saint Mathilde, the mother of Otto I the Great. She stopped here on her journey to Rome and had a church built here while she was pregnant. Today's church was initially used as a Benedictine monastery church. With the creation of the Diocese of Acquapendente in 1649, the church was elevated to the status of a cathedral. The Romanesque basilica was rebuilt several times in the course of the 18th century and given a baroque touch. From behind the "Romanesque traces" of the baroque basilica are clearly visible. Even some of the old corbels still exist. Unfortunately, the church was locked.

A document from Emperor Otto I, dated 964, contains the first recorded use of the name Acquapendentem which means "hanging water", from several waterfalls on the boundary between Lazio and Tuscany. Acquapendente was a stop along the Via Francigena in Italy. At the end of the 14th century, it was part of Siena. n 1449 it became an independent center within the Papal States. In 1649, Acquapendente became the seat of a diocese. The diocese continued in existence until 1986 when its territory was added to that of Viterbo. Though it is no longer a residential bishopric it is listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see. According to tradition, the founding of the church goes back to Saint Mathilde, the mother of Otto I the Great. She stopped here on her journey to Rome and had a church built here while she was pregnant. Today's church was initially used as a Benedictine monastery church. With the creation of the Diocese of Acquapendente in 1649, the church was elevated to the status of a cathedral. The Romanesque basilica was rebuilt several times in the course of the 18th century and given a baroque touch. From behind the "Romanesque traces" of the baroque basilica are clearly visible, Unfortunately, the church was locked.

A document from Emperor Otto I, dated 964, contains the first recorded use of the name Acquapendentem which means "hanging water", from several waterfalls on the boundary between Lazio and Tuscany. Acquapendente was a stop along the Via Francigena in Italy. At the end of the 14th century, it was part of Siena. n 1449 it became an independent center within the Papal States. In 1649, Acquapendente became the seat of a diocese. The diocese continued in existence until 1986 when its territory was added to that of Viterbo. Though it is no longer a residential bishopric it is listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see. According to tradition, the founding of the church goes back to Saint Mathilde, the mother of Otto I the Great. She stopped here on her journey to Rome and had a church built here while she was pregnant. Today's church was initially used as a Benedictine monastery church. With the creation of the Diocese of Acquapendente in 1649, the church was elevated to the status of a cathedral. The Romanesque basilica was rebuilt several times in the course of the 18th century and given a baroque touch. Unfortunately, the church was locked.

Because of its site on a high, steep bluff, Orvietto was virtually impregnable. After the collapse of the Roman Empire the city was held by Goths and by Lombards before its self-governing commune was established in the 10th century. Orvieto's relationship to the papacy has been a close one. By the thirteenth century, three papal palaces had been built. Orvieto controlled the road between Florence and Rome. It was a large town with a population of about 30,000 at the end of the 13th century. Orvieto's silhouette seen from a distance

Orvieto was annexed by Rome in the third century BC. Because of its site on a high, steep bluff, the city was virtually impregnable. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the episcopal seat was transferred from Bolsena, and the city was held by Goths and by Lombards before its self-governing commune was established in the 10th century. Orvieto's relationship to the papacy has been a close one. By the thirteenth century, three papal palaces had been built. Orvieto controlled the road between Florence and Rome. It was a large town with a population of about 30,000 at the end of the 13th century. From 1201 Orvieto governed itself through a podestà, who was as often as not the bishop, however, acting in concert with the "captain of the people". In the 13th century feuds divided the city, which was at the apogée of its wealth but found itself often at odds with the papacy. Pope Urban IV stayed at Orvieto from 1262 to 1264. The city became one of the major cultural centers of its time when Thomas Aquinas taught there. A small university had its origins in a studium generale that was granted to the city by Pope Gregory IX in 1236. The territory of Orvieto was under papal control long before it was officially added to the Papal States and it remained a papal possession until 1860, when it was annexed to unified Italy. The Pozzo di S. Patrizio (St. Patrick´s well) was built by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, between 1527 and 1537, at the behest of Pope Clement VII who had taken refuge at Orvieto during the sack of Rome in 1527 by Charles V, and feared that the city's water supply would be insufficient in the event of a siege. Antonio da Sangallo surrounded the central well shaft with two helical ramps in a double helix, accessed by two doors, which allowed mules to carry empty and full water vessels separately in downward and upward directions without obstruction. The cylindrical well is 53.15 meters deep with a base diameter of 13 meters. There are 248 steps and 70 windows provide illumination.

Orvieto was annexed by Rome in the third century BC. Because of its site on a high, steep bluff, the city was virtually impregnable. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the episcopal seat was transferred from Bolsena, and the city was held by Goths and by Lombards before its self-governing commune was established in the 10th century. Orvieto's relationship to the papacy has been a close one. By the thirteenth century, three papal palaces had been built. Orvieto controlled the road between Florence and Rome. It was a large town with a population of about 30,000 at the end of the 13th century. From 1201 Orvieto governed itself through a podestà, who was as often as not the bishop, however, acting in concert with the "captain of the people". In the 13th century feuds divided the city, which was at the apogée of its wealth but found itself often at odds with the papacy. Pope Urban IV stayed at Orvieto from 1262 to 1264. The city became one of the major cultural centers of its time when Thomas Aquinas taught there. A small university had its origins in a studium generale that was granted to the city by Pope Gregory IX in 1236. The territory of Orvieto was under papal control long before it was officially added to the Papal States and it remained a papal possession until 1860, when it was annexed to unified Italy. The Pozzo di S. Patrizio (St. Patrick´s well) was built by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, between 1527 and 1537, at the behest of Pope Clement VII who had taken refuge at Orvieto during the sack of Rome in 1527 by Charles V, and feared that the city's water supply would be insufficient in the event of a siege. Antonio da Sangallo surrounded the central well shaft with two helical ramps in a double helix, accessed by two doors, which allowed mules to carry empty and full water vessels separately in downward and upward directions without obstruction. The cylindrical well is 53.15 meters deep with a base diameter of 13 meters. There are 248 steps and 70 windows provide illumination.