Monastery of San Benedetto in Monterchi

The Monastery of San Benedetto in Monterchi was likely established as a hospital before the year 1000, a place to welcome travelers and the sick, donated to SaintRomuald. It later became a monastery, first for the Camaldolese nuns and then for the Cassino Benedictines. Over time, it has played an important social role, especially the cloister, which was opened to accommodate young and poor girls right up until the recent foundation of a nursery school.

The building as it appears today has been documented since 1525, but there have been many reconstructions, as can be seen from the mixed masonry. Particularly striking was the Barberina war in 1643, which razed the structure almost to the ground. The building was rebuilt between 1646 and 1649. Among the various renovations, the latest additions, dated 1840, concern the columns on the façade, some stucco decorations and the marble altar. Inside, the church opens onto a large vegetable garden with a central well, surrounded by a loggia and a high wall with niches.