Abbazia di San Galgano
Abbazia di San Galgano
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles2,983 reviews
Excellent
2,179
Very good
631
Average
138
Poor
20
Terrible
15

Gabby L
30 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
There's really nothing to see here. It's a waste of time and money to tour this place unless you ABSOLUTELY just have to see it. The abbey is empty and roofless. Nothing really interesting about it.
Written September 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

malvern09
London,UK506 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2012 • Couples
Maybe I'm prejudiced by coming from North Yorkshire, where we have several stunning ruined abbeys - Rievaulx, Fountains, Whitby - but San Galgano came as a real disappointment. After all the other amazing sights of Tuscany, it certainly wasn't worth the long drive to see this. It's almost too-well preserved. It just looks like a bog-standard large church which has lost its roof and windows. None of the scale, little of the complex of other buildings that hint at a long-lost community.
If you're in the vicinity, or going to a concert, by all means visit - but otherwise Tuscany has many more wonders - natural and man-made - that are more worthy of your time.
Written September 21, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BPH
Oakville, Canada57 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2017 • Couples
As others have said, a wonderful ruin. When we were there, they stopped us from going inside as a wedding was taking place. We were told that if we wanted, we could visit the nearby chapel (Eremo di Montesiepi) that was located on a small hill near the Abbey.

We went up to the chapel which was not only interesting, it also offered a nice view across the valley. Further, here you can also see the sword that was embedded in a rock by the founder of the Abbey's order.

By the time we returned, the bride and groom had emerged from the Abbey so we were allowed in. It is a very large structure that must have been impressive in its day.

After our visit we went across the valley and up the narrow road to Chiusdino. This is a great little town in its own right... and further, your entrance ticket for the Abbey also includes entrance to the Abbey Museum in town! The town is not large. After a short walk around town we found the Museum - which we thought was also worth the effort to visit. Several interesting items etc.

Lastly, if you go to Chiusdino, try to find the San Michele church in the middle of town. Why? Because inside the church is a small side chapel protected by a metal gate. Looking through the gate you will see a very old container... and inside the container is the skull of the founder of the Abbey (the person who embedded their sword in the stone!).

Amazing.
Written October 14, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LoveUmbria
Oklahoma50 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2017
This iconic Abby is just as beautiful on the outside as it is from the inside! When went twice while we were visiting the region. The first time at sunset and the time in the morning! I tried to get the famous photo from the inside looking straight up that would show the sky in the shape of the cross, but I guess my camera was not advanced enough! Also, be sure you walk up the hill, and visit the tiny chapel with the actual "sword in the stone!" I always thought that it was a legend that took place in England!! You may want to look up the history before you visit!! Fascinating!!
Written October 9, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LadyoftheLake1
Athens, AL240 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Couples
Went to Abbey at San Galgano in Chiusdino Tuscany Region. Ruins are beautifully maintained and worth a stroll. Take the gravel road up to the Hermitage of Monte Siepe to see San Galgano's Sword in the stone. However it is enclosed in a domed plexiglass casing so it is difficult to get the true effect of a sword in a stone. It is a nice visit if you are in the area but if you have to travel far I would probably not make the trip just for this. The trip demands a winding road up and down a mountainside narrow two lane with hairpin turns at every few 100 feet. If you are prone to motion sickness beware!
Written July 9, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DJDxMKD
New Hope, PA116 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Visited San Galgano in 2006. Drove from Siena to San Galgano. Not much hype, but San Galgano is beautiful. It is a ruined abbey. The walls are intact, but there is no roof or windows, yet it is still very impressive. Very peaceful and quiet. So many Italian sites are overun with tourists, they are loud and bothersome. Not San Galgano, it is a great place to just be outside and relax. Especially for us, American tourists, becasue I don't think I saw another group of americans, mostly Italian tourists (and a large Italian motorcyle touring club), I hate going to another country and being overrun by loud, obnoxious american tourists. San Galgano avoids all that. We bought some of the monks grappas and honey. Nothing overly elaborate, but I definately recommend.
Written May 13, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DJS
Castelfranco Veneto, Italy221 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2018 • Family
Well worth the drive out, very well kept abbey (only walls). The entry ticket allows entry to the museum in town, as well as the church on the hill above with the sword in the stone.
Written March 30, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chambesy
Geneva, Switzerland614 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Family
The Abbazia di San Galgano is a former Cistercian monastery of which a beautiful church without roof remains. Standing in the middle of fields and rolling hills it is a beautiful site. Entrance fee is €2,- or €1,50 (for children up to the age of 18). Lovely to walk through the Abbazia and around the grounds. In the Summer there are often concerts in the Abbazia in the evening. Artists sell their art in a shop on the grounds.

Do take the walk to the hermitage of Montesiepi (about 15 min) to see the sword that San Galgano stuck in the rock after the apparition if Saint Michael, similar to the King Arthur legend. A shop at the hermitage sells postcards, books and local products.
Written August 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anna C
Island of Malta, Malta18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2014 • Couples
It is a wonderful place to sit and absorb nature. The abbey is in ruins but must have been a magnificent building. The hermitage a few metres away is also worth visiting. An amazing place .
Written December 15, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brenda42014
Naples, Italy13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2014 • Family
This is a church that no longer has a rooftop but the walls are still standing. Now that is about all you will see is the walls of the building. However, the countryside that it sits in and the sky as the rooftop of the church to me is magnificent! The windows are gone too but you see where they were in the wall. Then you can hike up a trail next to a vineyard to see where a man, San Galgano, took his sword and stuck it in a rock after giving up his former ways of knighthood to follow Christ and serve Him. This is in a chapel on a hill that you will see from the abbey. There is plenty of parking which is paved and then you walk to the abbey and chapel hill from the parking lot which is free. Some park along the road which is a lot closer to the abbey. There is also limited parking up on the hill for the chapel. It was about 2 euro per person.
Written December 6, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Abbazia di San Galgano, Chiusdino

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