Ancient abbeys dot the map of Normandy. Most famous is the soaring Mont Saint Michel, which UNESCO has deemed a World Heritage Site, and is one of the abbeys most visted by tourists. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Abbaye de Belle-Étoile (Abbey of the Beautiful Star), built in 1216, is an overgrown compound that one can literally stumble upon while out walking the dogs.
Between the ruin and the tourist trap, extant abbeys remain throughout Europe. Still home to religious communities, many maintain the Benedictine tradition of providing hospitality. As a single person, I traveled to Italy to spend several months at the Abbey of San Vincenzo al Volturno, founded in 734, in the rugged Abruzzi mountains of the remote region of Molise. There I met Reverend Mother Miriam, the Abbess, who surprisingly was also a scholar in Hebrew and Judaic studies.
The abbey life had much to offer, and visitors reported finding what they sought.
As a native New Yorker from the Upper West Side who had scarcely planted a petunia in a window box, I learned so much that I never could have imagined doing: harvesting olives (which is done by jostling the trees’ slender trunks, freeing a pitter-pat of black and green olives into nets spread out in the grass below); milking an enormous, mud-covered cow that kicked; and making ricotta cheese. Most affectionately, I remember caring for a lovely old donkey by the name of Amica Luna (Friend Moon).
Years later, as a married person, I returned to the area briefly to visit the nearby abbeys of Montecassino and Santa Scholastica. I have decided to divide the photographs from these trips into two parts, the first of which follows here.
1. Abbey church
Constructed in the twelfth century, this Romanesque church stands across the Volturno River from the original abbey, dating from the early eighth century, is located. Once home to more than 300 monks, the Abbey of San Vincenzo was one of Charlemagne’s main centers in the south and remained a commercial hub until the Saracen invasion of 881. The later church was rebuilt after damage from the Second World War, while the early abbey is the site of ongoing archeological work.
2. Abbey Garden
If in search of a “sustainable lifestyle,” one need look no further than the Benedictine abbey, the main garden of which is pictured here. Guided by Saint Benedict’s precept of Ora et Labora (Work and Prayer), the monastics work the land for their sustenance, which serves also to tether them to the moral and religious understanding of the cosmos to which they have committed themselves.
3. RM Miriam & Veluto
Originally from Elmira, NY, Reverend Mother Miriam, OSB (Order of Saint Benedict) was eighteen when she entered the religious life. She was, in addition to being the Mother Superior of this Catholic abbey, a renowned scholar of Hebrew and Judaic studies. At her side is Veluto (“Velvet”), one of two resident retired Carabinieri (police) dogs.
4. Abbey Entrance
The abbey entrance is graced by a pair of sculpted lions hailing from ancient Roman times. A foot bridge from the same epoch, Ponte della Zingara, (the “Gypsy Bridge”), spans across the narrow trickle of the Volturno River and separates the old and the new abbey.
5.Amica Luna grazing roman arches
Each morning, I awoke to the bray of Amica Luna, the donkey who was my charge. Here, she grazes in view of the Portico dei Pellegrini, an ancient Roman arcade and a popular location for local wedding photos.
6. Casa Colonica
Scurrying into la Casa Colonica, the abbey guesthouse, as a storm gathers in the distance, whipping up the wind in the olive grove across the road.
7. Sheepdog
A couple of resident Abruzzese sheepdogs make their rounds in the olive grove. Indigenous to the mountains of Central Italy, these magnificent dogs have been used for centuries by Italian shepherds to guard the flocks.
8. Blessing of the Animals
The blessing of the animals is a joyful ceremony which recalls the love Saint Francis of Assisi had for all creatures. Here, retired police dogs, Veluto and Vix, are sprinkled with holy water by the nuns. Also pictured, the young women, Maria and Jill with whom I shared the guesthouse.
9. Olive Grove
Olive harvest takes place from late October through November and heralds the opening of the communal oil presses. These will run 24 hours a day until harvest’s end. As olives have a shelf life of only a few days, there is a great rush to get them to the press once picked. This makes for a jovial gathering, which lasts through the night: the cooler nocturnal temperatures are optimal for the oil’s flavor.
10. An equine guest
Snow-capped peaks of the Mainarde range are visible on a characteristically bright day as Mother Miriam welcomes this noble equine visitor for a brief stay in the Abbey stables.
11. Two cows
Mother and daughter, Vaca Bruna cows . Even though they were blessed, this did not stop them from trying to kick me during milking.
12. Amica Luna w Betsy
Amica Luna was my friend.
