The National Geographic Society with its mgazine, famed American scientific and educational organization among the largest in the world and non-profit based in Washington D.C. the U.S. capital that highlights many themes including various disciplines such as geography, archaelogy and natural sciences but also the care for conservation of the natural environment and historical heritage and the dissemination of the study about human civilization and their history has included 200 Italian Cenobitic Monasteries in the "Best of the World" list, placing two hundred of these religious sites as unmissable destinations for all lovers of history, art, travel and tourism.
The Cenobitic Monasteries in their essence emphasize community life, often wthin a religious order, a monastic community where monks and nuns live, work, pray together, historically characterized by a life based on a strict discipline, manual work, regular worship, with the order cenobitic regulated by a religious rule linked to a collection of precepts.
The National Geographic magazine has mentioned as one of the top highlights the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore located in Chiusure, a village of the municipality of Asciano on the edge of the Accona desert, a hilly area in the province of Siena in Tuscany, founded in 1313 by Bernardo Tolomei, a jurist from an aristocratic family of Siena.
The Monastery, a superb blend of romanesque and gothic styles boasts in its interior outstanding renaissance frescoes by Luca Signorelli, prominent master from Cortona developed in the Chiostro Grande, the Great Cloister.
Another mention by National Grographic was for the Sanctuary of La Verna situated not far from the centre of Chiusi della Verna municipality in the province of Arezzo in Tuscany in the suggestive National Park of Casentino at the foot of Mount Penna above the Casentino Valley where the first stretch of the ArnoRriver flows in a very scenic territory highlighted by large forests suggestive mountains and picturesque hills.
This remote Franciscan monastery, elevated to the status of minor Basilica is a superb, ecclesiastic complex with a stunning mix of romanesque, gothic and renaisance styles in its architectural profile boasting a superb monastic complex with a series of splendid chapels among them the Chapel of the Stigmata.
The monastery complex contains in the sanctuary the Assumption of the Virgin, lead – glazed terracotta by the Andrea della Robbia, great Florentine master of the Renaissance and it is well known for being the place where St. Francis of Assisi would receive the stigmata on 4th september 2024.
All these monasteries represent in their essence, destinations of great significance in the sphere of experiential tourism, suggested places for lovers of history, art, architecture for the artistic masterpieces they contain, destinations for those who are devoted to pilgrimages, prayer and meditation and for all those who wish to experience a stay in an environment where nature, art, history and spirituality live together in perfect symbiosis.
After this prestigious nomination, the Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè said that National Geographic with the inclusion of the Italian Cenobitic Monasteries in Best of the World list is a further recognition of the great value that the Italian religious heritage has within the international tourism ecosystem highlighting them furthermore especially in view of an important event such as the Jubilee for which 35 million arrivals and 105 million presences are expected.
Link - https://www.ttgitalia.com/incoming/national-geographic-i-monasteri-cenobitici-italiani-tra-le-destinazioni-del-2025-CD21555667
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Thanks a lot to read and note.