The Abbey of San Salvatore in Soffena

When, travelling along the panoramic Setteponti road, you arrive near Castelfranco di Sopra, you immediately notice the former Abbey of San Salvatore a Soffena, more commonly known as the Badia di Soffena. Located outside the ancient walls of this Florentine “New Land”, it has fortunately remained isolated from the town centre, within a large olive grove that frames it.

The History of the Abbey

The Badia, probably built in the 11th century on the ruins of a previous Castle of the Ubertini Family, is mentioned for the first time in a document from 1014.

In 1090, thanks to the Papal Bull of Urban II, the Badia came under the control and jurisdiction of the Vallombrosan monks, who in the following years restructured it, up to a complete reconstruction in Gothic style, which took place in 1394. During these works, a plaster was applied for the first time to the internal structure which was then frescoed by various Valdarno painters.

Unfortunately, the period of splendour for the Abbey came to an end in the first decades of the 1700s. In fact, abandoned by the last Vallombrosan monks, it was sold to private individuals and used as a warehouse and storage for agricultural activity. During this period, the structure was partially damaged and the frescoes destroyed or covered with new plaster.

The current appearance is due to the work of the State which, having purchased the abbey in 1962, began a massive restoration bringing to light not only the ancient internal cloister, but also numerous frescoes found under the layers of plaster.

The structure

The Badia di Soffena is currently composed of the bell tower, the church, the cloister and the convent. In all these structures, it is possible to notice the various renovations and modifications that have taken place over time. For example, in the cloister, it is possible to notice the difference in the material used for the capitals of the arches: brick on one side and stone on the other.

Inside the Badia, which has a Latin cross plan typical of the Vallombrosan monks, thanks to the 20th-century restorations, frescoes created by various artists have been brought to light: an Annunciation attributed to Scheggia (Masaccio’s brother), the Madonna and Child by Paolo Schiavo, the San Giovanni Gualberto and stories of his life by Bicci di Lorenzo and a Massacre of the Innocents by the Master Liberato da Rieti.