ITALY, TUSCANY, SIENA, ASCIANO
This beautiful and characteristic Abbey is an ancient Benedictine monastery, which dates back to 1031.
The complex, a real architectural jewel, is located on the top of a hill in the beautiful landscape of the “Crete Senesi”, near Asciano, about 20 km from Siena. About 12 km away is the imposing complex of Monte Oliveto Maggiore in whose archives are kept important documents concerning the life of the Abbey.
Location & Lifestyle
Around the monastery extends, as far as the eye can see, the exclusive panorama of the “Crete” which show to the west the view of the city of Siena and the Val d’Orcia, to the south the Monte Amiata renowned ski resort, to the east the villages of Rapolano Terme and Serre di Rapolano with their beautiful spas, to the north, the succession of hills towards the Chianti region, homeland of the homonymous wine.
Description
The architectural complex consists of:
– A main apartment on the first floor, divided into large living room with fireplace, master bedroom with bathroom and wardrobe, second bedroom, large kitchen and second bathroom.
– On the ground floor there is a beautiful library, a large dining room, which can accommodate up to 120 people, for banqueting of a high professional level, a large professional kitchen with the most advanced technological systems, some rooms for meetings / reserved areas.
– The remaining part of the first floor and the entire second floor is divided into 10 more spacious bedrooms each with a large bathroom and an apartment that consists of living room, kitchen, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
All for a consistency of about 1200 square meters, in addition to a building that can be restored for a further 800 square meters, on two levels where more bedrooms could be created.
In the Romanesque chapel (to be restored), dedicated to St. Mary and St. James and St. Christopher, to signify the importance of the monastery, were once contained a precious altarpiece by Ambrogio Lorenzetti depicting St. Michael the Archangel killing the Dragon, a beautiful wooden tabernacle and an ancient crucifix, now preserved in the Corboli Museum of Asciano.
External spaces
A large garden of about 3 hectares, full of medicinal plants, olive trees, oaks, strawberry trees, pomegranates, laurels, many varieties of wild roses, grown in full respect of the vegetation of the area, and a private lake completes the property.
Possibility of building a swimming pool.
State and finishes
After many years of careful and scrupulous conservative restoration work, the Abbey has been brought back to its ancient splendor in all parts compromised by decades of neglect: from the cloister, with the beautiful double order of brick arches, to the unusual two wells, from the halls to the cells. The interior and exterior finishes are of excellent quality and the restoration has kept intact, where possible, the original features of the various periods of construction and renovation.
Spacious, comfortable and elegant bathrooms, spacious bedrooms, a characteristic and scenic courtyard, incomparable views from every window and every corner of the property. The property today needs minimal maintenance work.
Potential use
Currently the property is not used as an accommodation structure but this could be resumed at any time.
