San Giusto Abbey

A 12th-Century Abbey with the Perfume of the Present

History, passion, devotion, and breathtaking beauty. This is what has become of The Abbey of San Giusto today. Built in 1146, this towering site, so modest and austere that it is grand, was once a Medieval Cistercean abbey. Home to an order known for their expertise in working land and water, it carries a heritage of craftsmanship, a creative intertwining of man and nature.

The story is one for the books. Abandoned for 600 years, legend has it for alleged lapses in monastic discipline, the Abbey of San Giusto had fallen into tumbling ruin open to the skies, in the steady hands of a shepherd whose sheep grazed its lands. 

It was Mauro Checcoli who would bring the abbey into the 21st century, a Bolognese engineer who is a pride to his country for his Olympic gold medal in horseriding. In 1990, Checcoli acquired the shepherd’s site, and thus began a loving and arduous restoration to return it to its twelfth-century splendor that demanded 25 years and a good measure of that beautiful kind of crazy. 

A life project that has stretched into a second generation, the abbey has since woven itself into the fiber of the Checcoli family, whose dream was to allow travelers and lovers of art, history, and nature to visit a Cistercian abbey in its entirety. Delving into its agricultural roots, an organic farm of fragrant plants now grow on the abbey’s sprawling grounds, waiting to be distilled for their essential oils.

Amidst rivers, lavender fields, olive groves, and pastures dotted with donkeys and horses, the Abbey of San Giusto waits serenely four kilometers from the town of Tuscania in an area called ancient Etruria, or as we prefer, Tuscia Viterbese.

I Conversi perches over a view of the cloisters on the western side of the abbey. Its present grandeur flourished from humble roots: the Conversi were the Lay Brothers who lacked clerical status but still lived and worked at the monastery. 

Today, the I Conversi quarters have been transformed into a luxurious suite, so expansive one could cartwheel across its living area amidst pieces of furniture more ancient than vintage. A divan and plush sofa upholstered in indulgent textiles contrast with restored stone walls left cool, porous, and undressed. Seating is clustered around a fireplace, a dream for the chilly months. As if evoking that famous monastic discipline, there are no televisions or phones in sight. A bit of reading and good conversation is in order.

Towards the middle of this grand living hall, a time-polished dining table seats six. Here is where you will be served your home-cooked, organic seasonal breakfast every morning, or enjoy the meals you may wish to prepare from your private kitchen at the end of this hall. Simply leave a message with the abbey’s kitchen in the morning should you wish for a dinner prepared by the in-house chef that evening. 

An indulgent four-poster bed fitted with luxury beddings awaits in the spacious bedroom. Modernity finds its place in the en suite bathroom, which is fitted with the comforts of the twenty-first century.

La Torre, the medieval tower of the Abbey of San Giusto, is the culminating piece of this restored site that ties it all together. A two-bedroom apartment winds through this four-storey tower, beginning on the ground floor with a private pergola that invites you to take in the view of the surrounding valley.

The living room you will encounter upon entry has retained a decidedly medieval feel, a gentle austerity from the past that presents itself with novelty today. Cavernous and adorned simply by the essence of its materials- stone walls and wooden benches that recall the days of the monastic order- it gives the impression of opening a door into a storied past. It is the well-equipped kitchen that brings us back to the present, with its induction hub, microwave oven, and coffee machine. 

Two bedrooms have been tucked into the upper floors, for privacy and the benefit of well-placed windows that look like idyllic cut-outs of sky and horizon. The double beds dressed in luxury linens are the reward for your effort of scaling the stairs. Both rooms come with en-suite bathrooms with modern fittings.

On the top floor is a terrace with a 360-degree view of the abbey and its cloisters, the fields of aromatic plants, untouched nature, and the animals that animate the green. A little table and chairs are set up in this open yet intimate space should you wish to dine or have sunset cocktails.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

WiFi is available in the room. You will need a car in order to get to the abbey and explore the surrounding areas, as the nearest town is four kilometers away.

While you may find yourself quite happy relaxing in your suite, it is good to know that the abbey is open to exploration. Feel free to meander the halls and corridors, and common areas like the refectory, the gardens and fields. Dog lovers will be happy to know that there are three friendly and well-behaved four-legged friends on the property.

AROUND

The Abbey of San Giusto is surrounded by rivers, parks, churches, and ancient history, perfect for an excursion in nature and cultural discovery. The nearest town of Tuscania was an ancient Etruscan city of great wealth and importance, as attested by the tombs and necropoleis left for our eyes today. Further outside of town sitting high on a hill are the superb churches of Santa Pietro and Santa Maria, a display of unrivalled masterworks of Romanesque architecture. And a little further still is the sea! The beautiful beaches of Tarquinia: “Le Saline” near the natural park Capalbio, Spiaggia del Chiarone Monte Argentario, La Feniglia, and La Giannella are just a few kilometers away.

LOCATION

Tuscania, Italy, is one hour north of Rome. Nearest airport: Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, Rome.