"In the year 1313, after the Nativity of the Incarnate Word, the aforementioned men, beloved by God, went to that place, with their tools and their books, to offer God a solicitous service." This is how the monk Antonio da Barga, in his 1450 Chronicle, describes the birth of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. Giovanni Tolomei (later Saint Bernard), with Patrizio Patrizi and Ambrogio Piccolomini, retreated to the desert of Acona to live according to the Rule of Saint Benedict. With the charter of foundation of 1319, the place became an abbey, giving rise to a new monastic family, approved in 1344. Today, the church with its wooden choir, refectory, cloister, library, pharmacy, chapter house, cellar, and herbalist's shop can be visited. The community has lived here for over seven hundred years: around thirty monks still continue a life of prayer and work, renewing the Benedictine tradition daily.
43.175675, 11.543859This itinerary will take you through the Abbey: the monastery, the church, the garden, the cellar, and the herbalist's shop are places of history, art, and life, linked to a community that follows the Benedictine rule of prayer, work, and study, making Monte Oliveto a unique place in the world.
This itinerary will guide you through the visit of the Cloister of the Abbey of Monte Oliveto, a truly unique place in the world.
This itinerary will take you through the Abbey: the monastery, the church, the garden, the cellar, and the herbalist's shop are places of history, art, and life, linked to a community that follows the Benedictine rule of prayer, work, and study, making Monte Oliveto a unique place in the world.
This itinerary will guide you through the visit of the Cloister of the Abbey of Monte Oliveto, a truly unique place in the world.
The abbey is open every day of the year at the following times:
WINDOW TIME:
9:30 AM – 12:40 PM (last admission 12:20 PM)
2:30 PM – 5:00 PM (last admission 4:40 PM)
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME:
9:30 AM – 12:40 PM (last admission 12:20 PM)
2:30 PM – 6:00 PM (last admission 5:40 PM)
Mass Times:
– WEEKDAYS
6:45 AM (except Saturdays)
7:30 AM Lauds and Conventual Mass (GREGORIAN CHANT)
– HOLIDAYS
5:30 PM (Saturdays)
11:00 AM Conventual Mass (GREGORIAN CHANT)
5:30 PM (Sundays)
Liturgy of the Hours Times:
– WEEKDAYS
6:00 AM Office of Readings
7:30 AM Lauds and Conventual Mass (GREGORIAN CHANT)
12:30 PM Sext and Holy Rosary
6:30 PM Vespers (GREGORIAN CHANT)
8:45 PM Compline (GREGORIAN CHANT; summer: 9:00 PM)
– HOLIDAYS
6:50 AM Office of Readings
8:15 PM Lauds
9:15 PM Terce
11:00 AM Conventual Mass (GREGORIAN CHANT)
6:30 PM Vespers (GREGORIAN CHANT)
8:45 PM Compline (GREGORIAN CHANT; summer: 9:00 PM)
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Single ticket €7.00 – Advance purchase €6.00
Ticket with Abbey audio guide (Italian and English) €8.50 – Advance purchase €9.50
Ticket with Guided Tour (Italian and English) – check operator availability on-site – €10.00 per person
Guided tour by reservation only for up to 25 people (Italian and English; for other languages, specific arrangements are required) €80.00 – Only upon request by sending an email to infovisite@monteolivetomaggiore.it or a WhatsApp message to +39 342 0538090 (at least 10 days before the visit) – the visit is exclusive to the booking group.
For groups (from 10 to a maximum of 25 people), reservations are recommended to guarantee entry at the scheduled time. The reservation fee is €25.00. Advance purchase only on Vivaticket.com
Note: The "€25 group reservation" ticket is available every 30 minutes, starting at 9:45 am.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Cloister only: free admission
Entire tour including the First Floor Exhibition (Old Library and Old Chapterhouse): €4.00 – Advance purchase: €5.00
Audio guide of the Abbey (Italian and English): €5.00 – Advance purchase: €6.00
Guided tour (Italian and English) – check availability on-site – €7.00 per person
Guided tour by reservation only for a maximum of 25 people (Italian and English; for other languages, specific arrangements are required) €80.00 – Only upon request by email to infovisite@monteolivetomaggiore.it or WhatsApp to +39 342 0538090 (at least 10 days before the visit) – the visit is exclusive to the booking group.
For groups (from 10 to a maximum of 25 people), reservations are recommended to guarantee entry at the scheduled time. The reservation fee is €25.00 – Advance purchase only on Vivaticket.com.
Note: The "€25 group reservation" purchase slots are every 30 minutes starting at 9:45 am.
This itinerary will take you through the Abbey: the monastery, the church, the garden, the cellar, and the herbalist's shop are places of history, art, and life, linked to a community that follows the Benedictine rule of prayer, work, and study, making Monte Oliveto a unique place in the world.
This itinerary will guide you through the visit of the Cloister of the Abbey of Monte Oliveto, a truly unique place in the world.