If you visit Monte San Pietrangeli, take advantage of a trip to discover the many beauties that surround it, such as the famous Fiastra Abbey.
To visit Monte San Pietrangeli means getting to know its art, its history, its cuisine, its hospitality, but there's more. There also the many one day trips that can be taken among the beauties of the Marche and its immense natural heritage. Between the trekking paths, the rural churches, the mountains and the lakes, spending a day in the greenery is really simple.
Let's set off then for a classic trip out of town to discover a true gem of the Marche, the Fiastra Abbey. This building, which is among the most important monasteries in the Marche, is only twenty kilometers from Monte San Pietrangeli and is surrounded by the lush greenery of the Fiastra natural reserve. A perfect destination for walks or picnics, but also for practicing some sport.
Fiastra Abbey: an art treasure just a few minutes from Monte San Pietrangeli
Travelling through the beautiful landscapes of the Marca Fermana we will easily reach the Fiastra Abbey. This monastery, only a few years younger than the Franciscan complex of Monte San Pietrangeli, is an authentic architectural jewel.
The Cistercian monks built it starting in 1142 on the site where a small church had already stood in the 9th century, and they did things on a grand scale so much so that, for several centuries, the abbey was one of the most important in Italy. This unfortunately also exposed it to conquests and looting, but despite this, it is still perfectly preserved today and full of all the typical Romanesque and Gothic architectural elements.
The church, in fact, is imposing and austere and scarcely decorated, according to the customs of the Cistercian order. The heart of all the monastery's activities, the cloister, is square and its shape symbolically represents the Heavenly Jerusalem. From here you enter another very important room, the Chapter Hall with the low and massive columns that support the cross vaults. Also worth visiting are the underground rooms, the caves and the cellars where today there is a wine museum.
The east wing is also unmissable, but here the style changes completely. In fact, for some centuries, the wing has been occupied by the elegant Palazzo Giustiniani Bandini.
The Fiastra Abbey nature reserve, a full immersion in the greenery
After admiring the architectural beauties of the Fiastra Abbey, let's get to know the natural ones of the green oasis that surrounds it. The one hundred hectares of the Selva di Fiastra are a natural reserve whose beauty can compete with that of the Marca Fermana, with a complex ecosystem waiting to be discovered. Beyond the woods in which to walk, there is the path that runs along the Fiastra river, or a fascinating humid environment called Fosso dell'Inferno that will surely attract the interest of all enthusiasts.
Sports lovers will not be disappointed either. You can visit the reserve by bike, for example, or take part in yoga classes and horseback excursions.
Of course, children of all ages are more than welcome. Educational walks, workshops and picnic areas for families but also for school groups await them.
How to reach the Fiastra Abbey
A day trip from Monte San Pietrangeli to the Fiastra nature reserve, it takes less than half an hour by car. The first option is to drive along provincial road 44 to provincial road 34 and then take the fork for Contrada Fonte Isola towards Mogliano. From here, continue for a few more minutes on the 131.
An alternative that requires mostly the same amount of time is to stay on provincial road 34, pass the hamlet of Macina and then turn off for Contrada Casciano, driving to Petriolo. Finally, take the Mogliano-Abbadia di Fiastra.
In both cases, the journey through meadows and plowed fields is wonderful and with a bit of training, definitely doable by bike. On two wheels, it will take about an hour and a half.
Also, shortly after the intersection between Mogliano-Abbadia di Fiastra and provincial road 131, there is a fork for a narrow dirt path. It is part of a ring route inside the park that also passes by the Fiastra Abbey. If you arrive by car you can leave it a short distance away, at the Passeggiata Selva Parking, but in this case it is better to stay on the provincial road for another kilometer. The path can be traveled on foot for an easy trek of just over six kilometers.
