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The figure of San Galgano left such a remarkable
impression on his contemporaries that an oratory was built and dedicated
to him on Montesiepi, the site of his hermitage, within the territories
given to the Cistercian monks. The church was consecrated by Hildebrand
Pannocchieschi, Bishop of Volterra, as early as 1185, the year of Galganos
canonisation. The building was to contain the saints body and
the sword embedded in the stone, the symbol of his abandonment of his
life as a knight to follow his spiritual calling.
A few decades later, in 1218, the construction
of the Cistercian abbey was begun. Together with the chapel of Montesiepi,
this now represents the most important religious group in Tuscany. Leading
the work was perhaps the same Johannes who had supervised the construction
of the abbey of Casamari in Lazio. By 1262, the abbey was practically
finished and it was consecrated in 1288. The Cistercian building acquired
such social and economic importance that the Commune of Siena established
relations with the monks. In 1257 one of them, Don Ugo, was given the
appointment of camerlengo, that is, he was in charge of
the Sienese treasury. Fra Melano is remembered for having stipulated
the contract with Nicola Pisano in 1266 for the construction of the
marble pulpit for Siena Cathedral. The plague of 1348 badly hit the
community of monks, marking the beginning of a gradual decline. This
culminated in 1474 when the monks decided to move to Siena, to the Palazzo
known as San Galgano. In the following century, the church was stripped
of its lead roof, and restoration work carried out in 1577 was much
needed. Records show that the structure fell into further disrepair
in subsequent decades, until two episodes irreversibly decided the fate
of the abbey: in 1781 the remaining parts of the roof collapsed, and
in 1786 the tower was struck by lightning and destroyed. In 1789 the
abbey was deconsecrated and not long afterwards turned into a farm.
Some restoration work carried out in the 19th century temporarily remedied
the main damage, but a full-scale restoration operation was not begun
until 1926. This aimed to strengthen, and therefore to preserve, what
remained of the original structure. The fate of the Hermitage of Montesiepi
is more fortunate. The churchs circular plan is reminiscent of
the mausoleums of Roman origin. The external cladding alternates between
a high stone footing and an area of two-coloured marble banding and
bricks. It terminates in a wide ring of bricks only. A lantern was added
to the roof in the 16th century and the bell gable is from the 14th
century. The interior is particularly fascinating because of the structures
simplicity and the boldness of some of its architectural solutions.
The central dome, for example, alternates rows of white stone contrasting
with the red of the bricks, as on the outside. The circular plan is
interrupted only by an apse with a narrow lancet window. In the centre
of the rotunda is the rock into which, according to tradition, San Galgano
drove his sword. In 1340 a rectangular construction was added to the
original building, set against its northern side. It features cross-vaulting,
and is divided into four rooms. This new area was painted with frescoes
with a cycle dedicated to the Life of the Virgin, carried out by Ambrogio
Lorenzetti and his workshop. On the upper part of the central wall is
a Majesty with Angels and Saints; at the foot of the scene is portrayed
Eve lying down. In the lower part is the Annunciation.. During restoration
work in 1966, the sinopie (or preparatory sketches) of these frescoes
were uncovered, allowing for a deeper interpretation of the pictorial
cycle. In the case of the Annunciation, there are some differences between
the sketch and the actual fresco: in the sinopia the Virgin appears
almost upset by the arrival of the Angel and embraces the column, as
if to defend herself from the sudden apparition by turning her face.
The whole cycle alludes strongly to the theme of maternity which seems
to reappear in the figure of Eve with her prominent belly beneath her
lightweight dress. The representation of the Majesty is connected to
San Galganos vision of the Virgin with twelve apostles; in Ambrogios
painting Peter, Paul, John the Baptist, and John the Evangelist appear;
the other figures which replace the apostles of the vision are a pontiff
(maybe Lucius III who canonised Galgano), and four monks, two of which
are Cistercians. Ambrogios presence at Montesiepi, recorded in
1334, confirms the late dating of the work which was carried out in
the last years of the artists activity, before he died; he was
almost certainly a victim of the plague in 1348, and, in fact, no records
of the painter exist after that year. This cylindrical church was built
where the knight Galgano Guidotti, become a Cistercian monk, lived as
an hermit till 1181, when he died. Is kept here the sword which, according
to the tradition, Galgano drove into the rock to symbolise his renunciation
to the worldly life. It was consacred in 1185. It has a small semicircular
apse and a quadrilateral room used as pronaos; the covering consists
in a hemispheric dome with alternated chromatic fascias. In the neighbour
chapel, built at the beginning of the 14th century, there are frescoes
by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, nowadays damaged, representing "Scenes
of the life of Saint Galgano", a "Majesty" and an "Annunciation".

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