Abbazia di Santa Maria a Cerrate

About the museum

The abbey of Santa Maria di Cerrate stands in the olive groves of the Salento, north of Lecce. A legend tells that King Tancred of Hauteville, Count of Lecce, saw the Madonna appear there during a hunt. The foundation is attested between the end of the 11th and the beginning of the 12th century, with a community of Greek monks following the rule of St Basil, settled there by Bohemond of Hauteville.

In 1531 the complex passed to the Hospital of the Incurables of Naples. After the sack by Turkish pirates in 1711 it was abandoned and converted into a farmhouse (masseria), devoted to oil production and tobacco processing. In 1965 the Province of Lecce began the restoration, entrusted to the architect Franco Minissi, and in 2012 it entrusted the abbey to the FAI through a public tender.

The church of Santa Maria has a Romanesque façade with a rose window and a carved portal, and preserves frescoes of Byzantine character, also illustrated by an interactive touch screen. The complex also includes a 14th-century portico, the Casa Monastica, a well of 1585, two underground oil mills and a treading mill (mulino a palmenti) restored by the FAI. The bakehouse and the mill house objects of rural tradition.

Highlights

• Church of Santa Maria with Romanesque façade and Byzantine frescoes
• 14th-century portico, Casa Monastica and well of 1585
• Two underground oil mills and a restored treading mill
• Bakehouse and mill with objects of rural tradition
• Orange grove of the “Portogallo” variety and experimental olive grove

Permanent exhibition

• Frantoi ipogei, forno e mulino – Spaces of the complex with two underground oil mills, a restored treading mill and objects of rural tradition.

Founded

1200

Operated by

FAI – Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano

Visitors per year

approx. 30,116

Admission & discounts

FAI members enter free for the self-guided visit. Rate of €6 for members of INTO, Mécènes and Amis du Louvre. Free admission for accredited journalists.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

The ground floor is accessible by ramps; the ticket office has a low step, but a step-free route can be arranged with the staff. The first floor of the Casa Monastica is reachable by lift; the hypogeum is accessible only by stairs. The external routes are of grass and beaten earth, with benches along the way. Easy-read guides and augmentative communication guides (Italian and English) are available, and LIS interpreter visits on request. Dogs are admitted in the external areas on a lead; inside only guide and assistance dogs.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

By car between Lecce and Brindisi on the SS 613, exit Squinzano and head towards Casalabate along the SP 100. Transfer from Lecce on booking only (€40 return for 1–4 people, +39 339 640 2204); bicycle rental in Lecce.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

FAI shop; on the first floor a loggia overlooking the courtyard for a snack break.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit