Pray and work. Since the Middle Ages, Benedictine monks have tended to the land, even the most reluctant to agriculture, developing a true vocation for hydraulics: sometimes they reclaimed marshy areas, in other cases it involved regulating rivers to harness the power of water for productive purposes, specifically in the case of Follina, textiles. The name comes from the fulling of woolen cloth, which spread from the 12th century due to the abundance of pastures and waterways, such as the Fulina, whose name is linked to the Roman nymph Furrina. The abbey is the beating heart of Follina, the focal point, both spiritual and productive, of the community; within its thick walls, the scent of incense and the sound of laudi intertwine inextricably with hard manual labor.
It is said that the Benedictines discovered on the hilly plateau of Roncavezzai, southeast of Follina, a stone statue of the Madonna with Child dating back to the 7th century, which has since been placed in a niche of the main altar. It is not the only valuable work of the abbey: the fresco Madonna with Child and Saints from 1527 by Francesco da Milano and a precious Wooden Crucifix from the Baroque period. It hosts international concerts, including the one by maestro Uto Ughi, which has become a regular autumn appointment.
For more information and guided tours, you can contact the fathers of the Abbey: 0438970231
