Abbazia di Santa Maria di Staffarda
Cistercian abbey near Saluzzo, with a Romanesque-Gothic three-aisled church, cloister, refectory and chapter house, managed by the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The abbey was founded between 1122 and 1138 by Cistercian monks in the territory of the former Marquisate of Saluzzo. The monks, who greatly valued manual labour, reclaimed the surrounding land and made Staffarda an important religious and agricultural centre.
From the 13th century the strategic importance of the complex declined. In 1690, during the Battle of Staffarda, the French troops of General Catinat attacked the abbey, destroying the archive, the library and parts of the cloister and refectory. In 1750 a bull of Pope Benedict XIV entrusted Staffarda to the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus of Turin, which still manages it today.
The church, in the Romanesque-Gothic style, has three aisles and semicircular apses; the alternation of stone and brick creates a decoration of white and red bands. In the presbytery are preserved the polyptych by Pascale Oddone of 1531, a wooden altar by Agostino Nigra of 1525 and a 16th-century wooden group of the Crucifixion. The cloister was the centre of monastic life; the refectory retains traces of a painted Last Supper, while the chapter house can be visited on guided tours. The complex is completed by the guesthouse and the covered market, built around the mid-14th century.
Highlights
- Romanesque-Gothic three-aisled church with alternating stone and brick
- Polyptych by Pascale Oddone (1531) and wooden altar by Agostino Nigra (1525)
- Cloister, once the centre of monastic life
- Refectory with traces of a Last Supper
- Chapter house, visitable on guided tours
- 14th-century guesthouse and covered market
Permanent exhibition
- Abbazia cistercense – Visit to the abbey church, the cloister and the refectory and, on guided tours, the chapter house.
- Operated by
- Fondazione Ordine Mauriziano
- Visitors per year
- approx. 20,210
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4.50groups of at least 20 people (with booking), students aged 18 to 25, law enforcement officers and partner companies or organisations |
| Children & teens | €3.50free up to age 10 · Free admission for under-11s; reduced rate of €3.50 for ages 12 to 17. |
| Seniors | €3.50Reduced rate of €3.50 for over-65s. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freeFree admission for visitors with disabilities. |
| Students & apprentices | €4.50Students aged 18 to 25; rate of €3.50 for lower and upper secondary schools. |
| Groups (20+ people) | €4.50 per personGroups of at least 20 people, with compulsory booking. |
| Combined ticket Stupinigi – Staffarda – Sant’Antonio di Ranverso (valid for one year) | €18Reduced €13 for under-18s, over-65s, people with disabilities and groups of at least 15 people. |
Free admission also for holders of the Abbonamento Musei. Rate of €3.50 also for teaching staff and holders of the FAI card. Tickets can be bought online through the Vivaticket system.
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
The visit is accessible to people with disabilities, who enter free of charge; the official page provides no further details.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Line 112 of Granda Bus from Saluzzo and from Cavour; by train to Savigliano (Turin–Savona and Turin–Cuneo lines), then an ArenaWays bus to Saluzzo and a taxi.
By car
Free parking
Free parking in the square in front of the abbey.
By car: from the A6 motorway take the Marene exit, then the SP 662 to Saluzzo and onward towards Pinerolo for about 10 km; from Turin, take the ring road towards Pinerolo and follow the signs for Cavour and Saluzzo.
Get directionsAmenities & 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 |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours, which include the chapter house, are organised by the Associazione Dialogart and booked by writing to staffarda@biglietteria.ordinemauriziano.it. |
