Valsenio Abbey is a place of peace and spirituality just outside Casola Valsenio, taking visitors on a long journey through the centuries-old history of the valley.
The first certain record of the Abbey dates back to 1216, but its foundation is earlier: the church stands on an early medieval structure, the remains of which were uncovered during archaeological excavations in 2010.
The present church is the result of a 19th-century restoration carried out in a pure neo-medieval style, which preserved the building’s sober Romanesque forms while incorporating elements of the older church, such as the remains of the central nave, now embedded in the large plastered pillars and partially visible.
The Abbey is arranged around the cloister, following a typically Romanesque layout, accessed through the door to the right of the church. Here stands a well documented since the 13th century, though in its present 16th-century form, which provided abundant, fresh water both to the rectory and to the cellars located beneath the cloister level. From the cloister, a staircase leads to the rectory, renovated and adapted as the parish priest’s residence, replacing the former chapter house and several monks’ cells. Along the staircase is a small shrine that once housed a statue of the Madonna, now placed inside the church. From the cloister one can also access the old sacristy, now used as a winter chapel: a simple, rustic space that still preserves its original terracotta floor.
Archaeological investigations have brought to light the medieval crypt, which alone is worth a visit to the Abbey: a highly evocative space located beneath the apse, originally covered with groin vaults, as revealed by the bases of the supporting pillars, still visible emerging from the floor.
Until the 13th century, the Abbey was run by Benedictine monks, who founded several monastic centres in the Senio Valley and introduced agricultural practices as well as wine and olive oil production, activities that still characterise the area today.
Each year the Abbey hosts numerous events, such as the Antica Fiera di Valsenio, a rural-themed festival, as well as concert series dedicated to classical and symphonic music.
Just a few metres from the church stands Il Cardello, the house museum of Alfredo Oriani, which originally served as the guesthouse of Valsenio Abbey.
