Montalcino - Abbazia di Sant'Antimo

Approaching Sant'Antimo. When I visited this area about a decade ago, Sant'Antimo was one of my favourite places. So I just had to see it again (and take some more photos).

It is proven, that the abbey existed since Carolingian times. Legends (of course) know, that it was Charlemagne himself, who founded the abbey when he had left Rome, following the Via Francigana northward. The earliest document relating to the abbey is a land grant of Charlemagne´s son Louis the Pious from 813.