The Abbey of Chiaravalle della Colomba
Beautiful red-brick Cistercian abbey that stands out in the green countryside of Piacenza
Where is
What is it and where is the abbey of Chiaravalle della Colomba
In the Piacenza countryside, not far from the highway, there is a Cistercian abbey accompanied by a small village with an agricultural flavor. It is the abbey of Chiaravalle della Colomba.
Why it is special: authentic Cistercian simplicity.
The double-gabledRomanesque facade is preceded by a later but still Romanesque portico, both are decorated with a motif of hanging arches and brickwork arranged in a sawtooth pattern. The interior is sober as in all Cistercian architecture: three naves supported by mighty pillars, covered by vaults decorated with ribs. The structure is virtually intact except for the two Rococo-style side chapels on one of the transepts. On the other is the access staircase to the dormitory. In the sacristy, the place where relics were kept, is a beautiful crucifixion.
Not to be missed: the cloister
The real treasure of this abbey is the marvelous Gothic cloister: a quadrilateral over which alternate four-mullioned windows open with buttresses. At the four corners are the knot-entwined columns, carved from a single block of Verona marble. The capitals of the columns are very simple, extraordinary instead are the corbels on which the vaults rest: plant motifs, fantastic animals, fatigued caryatids of clear Antelamic derivation. Not to be missed are the two capitals supporting the pointed arch on the south side, one in particular features a Madonna and Child surrounded by apostles. Also beautiful is the access to the chapter house with three finely decorated Gothic arches, like precious embroidery.
Fun fact: the monks' workshop.
Before you leave, don't forget to drop by the monks' workshop in search of health products, especially liquors. Famous are the Imperial Drops, a remedy for digestive ailments and more. Even D'Annunzio knew them well , who described them this way, "Essence between mistrà and absinthe with other medicinal juices, most exquisite...a few drops are enough to transmute a glass of water into a kind of heavenly opal."
A bit of history
The abbey was founded by direct intervention of St. Bernard in 1136, and by the early 1200s it had been completed. After partial destruction by Frederick II in 1248, it was renovated and enlarged with the addition of the Gothic cloister. In the early 1900s the church was purged of all the Baroque superstructures that had been added over time and restored almost completely to its Romanesque purity.
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