The ancient Abbey of San Leonardo in Lama Volara, first a Roman and later a Byzantine settlement, can be found near the Bishopric of Siponto about 10km from the town of Manfredonia.
The monastic complex was founded in approximately 1000 C.E. by the Canons Regular of St. Augustine to shelter for pilgrims visiting the Sanctuary of the Archangel Michael and knight crusaders setting sail for the Holy Land.
The Romanesque portal on the side façade of the Church, probably built during the time of Swabian dominion, is one of the most stunning to be found in Apulia and has decorations similar to those of Santa Maria di Pulsano. The church has 3 naves and a window at the centre of the roof is placed to receive the sun’s rays at the summer solstice. It houses important works including the precious Crucifix of San Leonardo, which may be the most ancient of the numerous crucifixes venerated in the Gargano peninsula.
The complex was entrusted to the Teutonic Knights by Pope Alexander IV in 1261 who used it as the centre of their operations in Apulia until the late 1400s. Suppressed by Joachim Murat, King of Naples in 1810, the Abbey was reopened for worship in 1950 under the tutelage of the diocese of Manfredonia.
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