Badia a Coltibuono

We went for a lovely long walk this morning, up to the top of the Chianti hills and to a monastery, the Badia a Coltibuono. I posted a photo of it on a bright day last February.

Today's photo is inside the church with the altar underneath that wonderful pyramid stepped chancel roof and in front of the semi-circular apse that you can see in the external view. A local saint, Benedetto Ricasoli, is buried under the altar. There are frescoes of his life as a monk on the altar frontal. The Ricasoli owned most of the land round here from about 800AD, and there is still a Barone Ricasoli in the biggest castle, Castello di Brolio.