Abbazia di Fossanova
Cistercian abbey of the 12th–13th centuries in the village of Fossanova, with a Gothic-Burgundian church, cloister, chapter house and refectory; free admission.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Before the arrival of the Cistercians, the site housed a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Stephen the Protomartyr, enlarged around the year 1000; three Romanesque sides of the cloister remain from that phase. In the third decade of the 12th century the abbey was incorporated into the Cistercian Order as a daughter house of Hautecombe, in the Clairvaux branch. The monks reclaimed the marshy area by channelling the waters into the River Amaseno, and the name “Fossa Nuova” derives from this work.
The present church was begun in 1163 and built over about forty-five years, with a pause due to the conflicts between empire and communes. The altar was consecrated in 1208 by Pope Innocent III, and the façade was completed with rose windows around 1300. Between 1170 and 1250 the guest house, the refectory, the chapter house, the south side of the cloister and the dormitories were renovated or built. It is an example of Cistercian architecture brought from Burgundy to central-southern Italy.
After the Cistercians came the Carthusians, who were expelled in 1873 with Italian unification; the complex then passed to the Borghese family. Since September 2017 the abbey has been entrusted to the Istituto del Verbo Incarnato. The site is also linked to Saint Thomas Aquinas, to whom a stop of the audio guide is dedicated. In the former Cistercian guest house is housed the Museo Medievale di Fossanova, with its own entrance and hours.
Highlights
- Cistercian abbey church with central nave and lantern tiburio
- Romanesque cloister with a Gothic lavabo
- Chapter house and refectory
- Door of the choir monks and frescoes
- Free audio guide online, in Italian
- Museo Medievale di Fossanova in the former guest house
- Operated by
- Istituto del Verbo Incarnato
- Visitors per year
- approx. 62,150
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Museo Medievale di Fossanova (separate entry, standard) | €3.50Reduced €2.50 for under-18s, over-65s and groups of at least 12 people; free for children under 6, people with disabilities and one companion, tourist guides and teachers with the class. |
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Entry to the abbey complex (church and cloister) is free. The Museo Medievale, housed in the former guest house, charges admission: family ticket €12 (parents and children under 18, at least three people, valid for one week at the Priverno Musei venues).
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
For the Museo Medievale the operator states full internal mobility for people with mobility disabilities, with ramps, electromechanical platforms and a lift.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
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| Audio guide | yes (IT) |
| Good to know | A free audio tour (beta version, Italian only) with thirteen stops, from the façade to the refectory, is available on the abbey’s website. Information on guided group visits: +39 380 256 2809; for the Museo Medievale: +39 347 233 0723. |
