Monastery of Santa Maria Assunta at Monte Oliveto Minore
In the locality of Santa Lucia, near San Gimignano, the monastery of Santa Maria Assunta a Monte Oliveto Minore, also known as the Convent of Monte Oliveto, is situated among the verdant hills in a beautiful landscape with a view right over the City of Towers. The religious complex, founded in 1340, underwent several expansions and modifications over the course of time, which eventually led to its present conformation. The façade of the church is in stone characterized by a portico on columns, while in the portal lunette there is a fresco depicting the Madonna with two monks, a work attributed to Vincenzo Tamagni. Inside, the church has a single nave, with side chapels and a cross vault, decorated with Baroque stucco. The bright environment highlights one of the most important works in the entire complex: the fresco depicting the Crucifixion painted in 1466 by Benozzo Gozzoli, a famous Tuscan painter. To the left of the church is the striking 15th-century cloister, whose porticoes and columns surround the green lawn. About a kilometer from San Gimignano, the monastery, nestled among vineyards and olive groves, is a point of interest on the ancient Via Francigena.