Manfredonia - Abbazia di San Leonardo in Lama Volara (PiP)

The "Abbazia di San Leonardo in Lama Volara" (aka "San Leonardo di Siponto") was probably founded at the end of the 11th century. It is dedicated to Saint Leonard of Noblac, a popular "Norman" saint.

The monastery initially served as a hospice for pilgrims on their way to the Saint Michael Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo, an important pilgrimage site since the early Middle Ages. Later it also served as a place for travellers on their way to the Holy Land during the Crusades. Since 1127 Augustinian canons worked here, in 1261, the Teutonic Order took over the meanwhile dilapidated hospice and made the monastery to their centre of activities in Apulia. The Teutonic Order left in the second half of the 15th century.

Some scholars claim, that the portal is one of the finest in Apulia. It opens to the road, where the pilgrims came along (today SS89). The left capitals of the portals have Saint Michael killing the dragon and Balaam, the donkey and the angel.

Numbers 22, 21-31

"Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.

Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.

Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”

The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” “No,” he said. Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown."