Abbazia di Fruttuaria
Benedictine abbey founded in 1003 by William of Volpiano at San Benigno Canavese, with 11th-century mosaics and Romanesque remains; free admission.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
According to a now-lost chronicle, the abbey of Fruttuaria was founded on 23 February 1003 by William of Volpiano, and the church was consecrated in 1006. The building had an innovative plan for its time, with three naves, a transept and five apses. Here Arduin of Ivrea, the first king of Italy, withdrew and died in 1015.
The monastery declined around 1400, was suppressed and in 1585 became a collegiate church. In 1770 Cardinal Vittorio Amedeo delle Lanze had the new parish church built, attributed to Bernardo Antonio Vittone; of the medieval construction, mainly the bell tower survived, with frescoes of an enthroned Madonna and Child dating between the 11th and 12th centuries.
In 1979 works for a new heating system brought to light the floor mosaics and the structures of the medieval abbey, among the oldest in Piedmont. Today the visit route includes the two original apses opening onto the transept, the bases of the altars, the rotunda of the Holy Sepulchre from the first building phase, the upper church with a glass floor that reveals the mosaics below, and the 18th-century octagonal cloister with Romanesque elements.
Highlights
- Floor mosaics of the 11th century, discovered in 1979
- Upper church with glass floor over the mosaics
- Rotunda of the Holy Sepulchre from the first building phase
- Original apses and altar bases of the medieval abbey
- Bell tower with Romanesque frescoes
- 18th-century octagonal cloister with Romanesque elements
Permanent exhibition
- Percorso museale e didattico dell'abbazia medievale – Route among the remains of William of Volpiano’s abbey: apses, mosaics, rotunda, upper church with glass floor and cloister.
- Operated by
- Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Piemonte (Ministero della Cultura)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 3,429
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- 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
The guided route is not yet accessible by wheelchair; the upper church with the glass floor over the mosaics and the projection room are accessible.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
San Benigno Canavese railway station. Nearest airport: Turin Caselle.
By car
Parking available
Free parking along the nearby streets.
By car: A5 motorway, exit Volpiano; or A4, exit Chivasso Ovest, then towards Volpiano and San Benigno.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop: not available
- Coat check: not available
No bookshop or cloakroom is available.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 50 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | no |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours, led by volunteers of the Associazione Amici di Fruttuaria, follow the route “Mille anni di storia attraverso le strutture di Guglielmo da Volpiano” (A thousand years of history through the structures of William of Volpiano); meeting point in the square in front of the basilica, groups of up to 25 people. For group and school visits on weekdays, booking is compulsory (Associazione Amici di Fruttuaria, tel. +39 335 720 4648). |
