Medieval Tuscany: Abbadia di San Salvatore

I discovered this medieval gem in Tuscany when my younger son went to a track and field camp in this little town this summer.

Abbadia San Salvatore is a small town in the Valdorcia, nestled at the foot of Monte Amiata (Amiata Mountain), off of the Via Cassia between Orvieto and Sienna.

It’s a beautiful spot, lush and green. Monte Amiata is a volcanic cone, its highest peak is 1730 meters. Luckily, this volcano has been dormant for the past 180,000 years, but it continues to feed many of the thermal springs in the area.

The little town of Abbadia di San Salvatore is on the eastern slopes of Monte Amiata, and it boasts one of the oldest monasteries of Tuscany. It was at the height of its splendor in medieval times, when the monastery was an important place of worship for pilgrims travelling to Rome from northern Europe along the Via Francigena.

The monastery was founded in 743 by the Lombard king Ratchis, and was rebuilt in 1035. It has been well-preserved, although most of its treasures were removed and taken to Florence. The monastery and its Lombard crypt are well worth a visit.

A medieval town built itself around the monastery, and its outer walls are still intact. The well-preserved town is adorable, and free from traffic. We enjoyed wandering its twisting streets and picturesque squares.

Abbadia di San Salvatore was a pleasant find for us. My son loved his week sprinting and training in this postcard-perfect corner of medieval Tuscany, and I envied him his week of fresh air and peace in this pretty little town.

He enjoyed it so much, that I suspect that we’ll be back next year.

Nevertheless, his week in Tuscany didn’t help him in perfecting the famous Tuscan ‘c’.

He’ll definitely need a repeat visit…

Enjoy your visit to medieval Tuscany when you’re next stopping through Abbadia di San Salvatore.