I always wondered what persuaded Bernardo Tolomei, the founder of the abbey, to leave his  sumptuous town home, get rid of his large family patrimony and lead a hermit's life in a remote cave

The abbey is a gem set between the cliffs and gullies of the Crete Senesi

Architecture and nature are wonderfully mixed

The monastic complex is the Mother house of the Olivetans Benedictine congregation and holds unforgettable pages of Renaissance art

The frescoes by Signorelli and Sodoma describe in great detail  the life of St. Benedict of Norcia, who was the founder of Western monasticism and the patron saint of Europe

The wooden inlays of the choir by Fra Giovanni da Verona show the fascination of Renaissance artists for the laws of mathematics and geometry, perceived as a resonance of the divine in the world

During some liturgies it is possible to hear Gregorian chant 

Who are the men who currently decide to close the doors of the world behind them and lead a cloistered life?