FASCINATING RUINS

The eerie ruins of the Abbey of San Galgano are one of Tuscany's most famous monasteries of all time and are located 45 km south of Siena, Italy.

A KNIGHT’S SAINT

The noble knight Galgano Guidotti became a Cistercian monk and erected a chapel at Montesiepi in 1180, where he chose to live as a hermit for the rest of his life. The Cistercian monks then built an abbey and an oratory built in honour of Galgano, who became a mythical saint.

LUCKY ON WEATHER

The place attracts thousands of visitors every year. Peace and silence prevail here.

In 1787, lightning struck the bell tower, which collapsed on the roof, dragging it down and giving it this strange charm.

The light coming through the gaps in the walls, the clear view of the sky where the roof once stood, give the place an incredible atmosphere.

ANY CINEPHILES OUT THERE?

If you are a movie lover, maybe you did recognise the location, since the abbey was where parts of Andrei Tarkovsky's film Nostalghia were set in 1983.

It would, of course, be a great omission not to mention how magical nature is all around and all the way from Siena to here.

It is a great and rare stroke of luck that the route to a major attraction is almost as magical, and this gives the visit even more gravitas and joy.

I think too often that as much as I adore the extraordinary creations of human ingenuity, it is the beauty of nature that almost always sets the tone.

Nature is sublime.