Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Italy Sermoneta Abbazia di Valvisciolo (Valvisciolo Abbey)

Abbazia di Valvisciolo (Valvisciolo Abbey)

Knights Templar are visible inside this stunning Cistercian abbey.

Sermoneta, Italy

Added By
Jan Claus Di Blasio
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The abbey exterior, featuring the rose window.   Livioandronico2013/CC BY-SA 3.0
The abbey exterior.   MM/Public Domain
The abbey exterior.   Mentnafunangann/CC BY-SA 3.0
A closer look at the rose window.   Livioandronico2013/CC BY-SA 3.0
Detail of the rose window.   Pietro Scerrato/CC BY-SA 3.0
One of the Salomon Knot symbols in the Abbey   lucaverzulli
The SATOR inscription   Pietro Scerrato/CC BY-SA 3.0
The cloister at Valvisciolo Abbey.   sunshinecity/CC BY 2.0
The façade of the Abbey   Luca Aless
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The beautiful abbey of Valvisciolo (from the Italian "Valle dell'Usignolo", Valley of the Nightingale) can be found between the gardens of Ninfa and the medieval town of Sermoneta, set against a backdrop of central Italy's Lepini mountains. 

Though we know very little about the earliest history of the abbey, it dates back to at least the 12th century, if not earlier. It was founded by Greek Basilian monks, and supposedly occupied by the Knights Templar in the 13th century. Legend has it that the Church's architraves broke when the Templar Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, was burnt at the stake in 1314 (the Order had been suppressed and its members persecuted).

Traces of the abbey's Templar past are believed to be subtle but very significant. A small templar cross is carved on the rose window on the façade, and the crack in the architrave is visible just underneath. More templar crosses have been spotted inside the church and on the ceilings of the cloister.

But one of the the abbey's most interesting features is a very small carving on the wall that you walk past to enter the cloister. Sheltered by a transparent screen, you will find an unusual palindromic SATOR inscription. Its shape is not square, like those found elsewhere, but instead five concentric circles, crossed by five lines that divide the circles into five sectors that contain five letters. The palindrome is read in the following way in any direction: Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas. The exact meaning of the inscription is unclear.

If you look carefully, you might also spot several carvings of Solomon's knot (which has been interpreted as a metaphor of one's esoteric journey in search of the self and of truth) and of the omphalos, the sacred center of the world. All of these carvings were discovered during restorations of the cloister and they might provide a mysterious testimony of the presence of the Knights Templar and of their spiritual symbolism.

Today, the Romanesque-Cistercian style abbey is home to Cistercian monks. The church has three naves divided by pillars and columns and bare walls, as the Cistercian tradition that avoids architectural splendor to emphasize the importance of the spiritual over the material.

Related Tags

Churches Mountains Architecture Monasteries Monks Secret Society Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

The abbey is open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the winter, and from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the summer.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails

Savor local cuisine across Rome, Florence & Venice.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

LatiumMirabile

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

May 5, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.sentiero.eu/en/valvisciolo-abbey/
  • http://www.lecamerepinte.it/en/itinerari/sermoneta-e-ninfa/item/8-abbazia-di-valvisciolo
Abbazia di Valvisciolo (Valvisciolo Abbey)
Badia
Sermoneta, 04013
Italy
41.5681, 12.981192
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Gardens of Ninfa

Doganella di Ninfa, Italy

miles away

Temple of Hercules

Cori, Italy

miles away

Temple of the Dioscuri

Cori, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Italy

Italy

Europe

Places 1,064
Stories 111

Nearby Places

Gardens of Ninfa

Doganella di Ninfa, Italy

miles away

Temple of Hercules

Cori, Italy

miles away

Temple of the Dioscuri

Cori, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Italy

Italy

Europe

Places 1,064
Stories 111

Related Places

  • Formia, Italy

    Eremo di San Michele Arcangelo (Hermitage of Saint Michael the Archangel)

    Hidden in a high mountain cave, this hermitage dates back to the ninth century.

  • Santa Caterina del Sasso

    Leggiuno, Italy

    Santa Caterina del Sasso

    This monastery built into a cliff hides a perfectly preserved hermit in a glass coffin.

  • View of the apse

    Madrid, Spain

    Ermita de San Pelayo y San Isidoro (Hermitage of Saint Pelagius and Saint Isidore)

    The remains of this misplaced church were moved here stone by stone.

  • Dale Abbey, England

    Hermits Cave at Dale Abbey

    Inspired by a dream, a hermit carved out a home in this sandstone bank to live a life of contemplation and prayer.

  • The coffin-shaped church.

    Kartuzy, Poland

    Carthusian Church Monastery

    The coffin-shaped church was once home to monks who slept in coffins.

  • Hermitage of Poggio Conte, dug in the tuff.

    Ischia di Castro, Italy

    Eremo di Poggio Conte (Poggio Conte Hermitage)

    A dreamlike medieval church dug into the tuff rock, with unusual carvings and possible traces of the Templar knights.

  • Pskov-Caves Monastery.

    Pechory, Russia

    Pskov-Caves Monastery

    This 15th-century cave complex is one of the very few monasteries to stay open throughout World War II and the Soviet regime.

  • West entrance in the cathedral.

    Cârța, Romania

    Cârța Monastery

    Climbing to the top of the cathedral's bell tower offers sweeping views of these medieval ruins.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.