Surrounded by the valleys of Monviso, the Abbey of Santa Maria di Staffarda, in Revello (CN), was founded by the Cistercian monks in 1135, and became the centerpiece of the religious life of the Marchesato of Saluzzo and at the same time a thriving agricultural production center.
In compliance with the severity of the rule of St. Bernard, which includes the absolute renunciation of sacred vestments and decorations too brilliant, the Abbey's architecture revolves around principles of simplicity, austerity, the use of exposed natural materials such as stone and brick and rich religious symbolism. The only exception is the majestic altarpiece of 1531 attributed to Pascale Oddone, carved polychrome wood and painted with golden finishes devoted to the Virgin.
In 1690 the Abbey suffered serious damage due to the terrible Battle of Staffarda, which saw the French troops commanded by General Catinat to clash with the Austro-Piedmont armies of Vittorio Amedeo II. In 1750, with the papal bubble, the Abbey became part of the Maurizio Order of Turin, current owner. The church, the refectory, the Capitular room, the lab, the covered market, the guesthouse and the beautiful cloister immersed in the quiet remain the testimony of the austere life of the Cistercian monks.
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