Placed high up, on the right bank of the Meta torrent, the Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo in Lamoli preserves the austere and intimate atmosphere of the Benedictine buildings, perfectly summed up in the famous Rule "Pray and Work".
An unmissable destination, easy to reach, an ideal place for a few minutes or a few hours of meditation and spiritual relaxation.
Coming in the church, you immediately see the typically Romanesque three-nave structure, hidden by the semi-darkness which produces that suggestive sensation of having entered in something greater than the human dimension. The light enters through the central rose window and the small single-lancet windows at the top, and concentrating entirely in the large apse, creates suggestive plays of shadows behind the raised altar.
Don’t miss a visit to the crypt, where there are some sculptural fragments dating back to the 6th century.
Built on commission of the Benedictines probably starting from the 9th century, the church has numerous art works, frescoes from the Umbrian school of the end of the 15th century, a wooden Crucifix attributed to the Brunelleschi School, a lunette by Raffaellino del Colle.
The structure, recently expanded, is connected to the Museum of Natural Colors and the Oasi San Benedetto hotel and restaurant, with its beautiful garden from which you can observe the church's bell tower.
Outside, the Abbey offers an extremely tidy Apennine landscape, as if the building has always been part of that nature that is ever present in these places.
For walks and views lovers, continuing on via Pianello under the restaurant garden in a north-easterly direction, you can access to a series of unmarked (but easy to walk) paths and trails, from which it is possible to see a splendid view over the valley.
The Lamoli Abbey is the aim of the FAI "Places of the heart" campaign, in which it’s possible to participate with a simple vote and offer a small donation to its restoration and maintenance.
