Hi - I am planning a trip to Montepulciano next May and was hoping to find an abbey in the area that had gregorian chanting. When I search, all I find is the Abbey of Saint'Antimo, which I have learned no longer has monks in residence. Does anyone know of any abbeys in that area? Thanks!
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
4657 posts
Saint'Antiamo may not have monks now, and most likely didn't in my visit in 2002 but the memory of that abbey with the taped chants playing still bring tears to my eyes. I am certainly no expert on Gregorian Chant and rarely come across it so have no comparison. Perhaps it was because it was so unexpected that it had such a strong impact but it was beautiful.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11839 posts
Monte Oliveto Maggiore has Gregorian chanting. Here is the schedule for services, some of which include chanting.
Posted by
Adams Basin
575 posts
What a great idea..why wasn't I thinking about that as part of our trip? I just gave my wife a heads up and she reminded me that she hates Gregorian Chant. I'm now recalling why I haven't been playing any of my relates CD's...this is what happens when you are married to a musician. Tough beans, we're going.
keep calm, chant on...
Posted by
OP
18 posts
Thanks all. Maria, there were monks in 2002 still. From what I’ve heard, that church has become very commercialized in recent times which is unfortunate. Laurel, thanks for the info, we are definitely going to check that out. Mack- i am coming up with our itinerary and realized that it’s all food and wine related - not that it’s a bad thing but wanted to throw some variety into the mix and I imagine it will sound amazing.
Posted by
Rural Georgia
2214 posts
Monte Oliveto Maggiore has Gregorian chanting. Here is the schedule for services, some of which include chanting.
I second Laurel's idea. We were there two Decembers ago.
We were staying in the Verrazzano winery and agriturismo just outside Greve . We planned a day of exploring in our car, finishing with the evening service at Monte Oliveto Maggiore. Marco, who was our breakfast server for the week, was excited when we told him our plans. It turns out he is a big fan of Gregorian chant. He insisted on helping us plan our route.
Be sure to arrive in time to visit the abbey. It is lovely. In December, it closes at 4:30 or 5:00. The Abbey is in the country, but there is a charming little restaurant right at the Abbey. Our host spoke no English, but we were able to successfully order a wonderful dinner.
After dinner, we walked back down to the abbey for the service. Other than the monks, the only other person there was a lady from a nearby town. We sat up with the monks and were given service materials to follow. There was a lot of page turning involved and my Latin is rusty, so I got lost halfway through the service. We were encouraged to participate in the responses. It was a peaceful service in a gorgeous sanctuary.
When we toured the abbey, we bought a CD of the chants from the gift shop. The next morning we presented it to Marco as a Christmas present. Our gift brought tears to his eyes and he immediately disappeared from our table. He returned shortly with a small jar of honey from the estate, as well as a small jar of jam.
There are a wealth of experiences to be had if you seek them out. Participating in the service and making friends with Marco, Isabella and Gino at Castillo di Verrazzano helped make our trip to Tuscany magical.