Abbadia San Salvatore: Abbey, Mining and Hiking
Accommodation in Abbadia San Salvatore
Abbey, Churches and Museums
In the historic centre of Abbadia San Salvatore stands the Abbazia di San Salvatore, a monastic complex founded in 743 by the Lombard King Ratchis. The Abbazia di San Salvatore comprises a Romanesque church with frescoes and works of art, a cloister and an abbey museum with historical and archaeological finds. The crypt of the Abbazia di San Salvatore probably dates from the 7th century and has 32 columns with elaborately carved capitals.
The Museo Arte Sacra displays numerous reliquaries made of gilded wood, a gilded bronze bust of Pope Mark, a chasuble attributed to him and a Scottish-Irish reliquary from the 7th or 8th century. The Museo Arte Sacra is located in the recently reconstructed east wing of the abbey. The Chiesa di Santa Croce stands in Piazza Santa Croce and was consecrated by Abbot Rolando in 1221. The former Palazzo del PodestĂ also stands in Piazza Santa Croce and served as the former courthouse of Castel di Badia.
Mining and Galleria Livello VII
The Parco Museo Minerario di Abbadia San Salvatore documents mercury mining in the mines of Abbadia San Salvatore from 1899 to 1972. The underground Galleria Livello VII shows mining faces containing cinnabar and explains the development of mining work systems from the 1920s to the 1950s. The town therefore presents both the long history of mercury mining and the technical changes in mining work as the focus of its own museum offerings.
Signposted Forest Trails
The signposted Percorso della Miniera is approximately 4.3 kilometres long and takes around 50 minutes. The trail passes former mining sites, the Laghetto Verde viewpoint, the old chimney and the powder magazine before returning to Abbadia San Salvatore. The former use of the mining sites remains a clear part of the trail description.
The Percorso del Capomacchia passes through the centuries-old beech forest and reaches an altitude of 1,530 metres, a few hundred metres from the mountain summit. A cycling tour from Abbadia San Salvatore to the Vetta del Monte Amiata passes through chestnut forests and the impressive beech forest. A variant of the Via Francigena reaches Abbadia San Salvatore by branching off from stage 36 between San Quirico and Radicofani.
Fiaccole and Festa d’Autunno
The tradition of the Fiaccole is renewed every year on 24 December. For this purpose, pyramid-shaped wood piles up to seven metres high are erected in each terziere of the medieval town. The Festa d’Autunno takes place on the second and third weekends of October in the medieval centre of Abbadia San Salvatore. At the Festa d’Autunno, food stalls offer roasted chestnuts and mushrooms, as well as dishes such as chestnut polenta, Castagnaccio and mushroom preparations.
Getting Around Abbadia San Salvatore
The IAT of Abbadia San Salvatore provides information on transport, opening hours, local routes, accessibility, historical, artistic and natural resources, as well as events. For orientation around culture, mining, trails and dates, the IAT thus brings together several topics relevant to your stay.
Further destinations for your travel planning: Castiglione D'orcia, Piancastagnaio.
For the higher-level travel overview: Siena.
