San Chirico Raparo (Potenza)
Abbey of Sant’Angelo al Monte Raparo
The abbey of Sant’Angelo al Monte Raparo is one of the most important monastic settlements in southern Italy. It dates from the 10th century, when a group of Basilian monks, fleeing iconoclasm, chose a cave dedicated to Saint Michael as their refuge and built the abbey above it. It stands in contrada Sant’Angelo, about six kilometres from the village of San Chirico Raparo (source: FAI).
- Opening hoursOpening hours are not given by official sources: it is best to check before going.
- AdmissionFree admission
- WhereContrada Sant'Angelo, San Chirico Raparo (PZ)
What to see
- The church, with a single nave and apse, an ogival portal and eight chapels (four on each side), topped by a cylindrical drum with four windows and a domed cap.
- The karst cave below, with stalactites, stalagmites and basins fed by the Trigella spring, home to a colony of bats and preserving saints’ frescoes from the early 11th century and the image of an Archangel.
A little history
Between the 11th and 12th centuries, with the Norman conquest, the abbey enjoyed a period of splendour; between the 13th and 14th centuries it passed from the Greek-Byzantine to the Benedictine order. Abandoned from the 18th century and damaged by the earthquakes of 1857 and 1930, it was declared a national monument in 1927; restoration began in 1984. The complex is among the sites of environmental interest of the Appennino Lucano Val d’Agri Lagonegrese National Park.
Useful information
The position shown on the map comes from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours are not given by official sources: it is best to check before going.
Also visit the Church of Saints Peter and Paul and the Monte Raparo. Discover more places in San Chirico Raparo.
