Holiday apartment in Chiusure: Badlands, monastic culture and village history

Holiday apartment in Chiusure between the Badlands and monastic culture

In Chiusure, the typical Badlands formations extend right up to the village area. From the village’s panoramic terrace, you can enjoy a view of these landscape formations. When visiting the Badlands, it is important to distinguish between the view and the terrain when planning your day: the terrace offers the view, while the route determines how far you can move around. The history of the village and Monte Oliveto Maggiore Abbey also provide cultural and spiritual perspectives. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday house in Chiusure, you can therefore consider whether the focus of your stay should be on the landscape, monastic culture or village history.

Badlands: landscape with clear route guidance

The Geosito Naturalistico dei Calanchi di Chiusure e Monte Oliveto Maggiore consists of clay and sand dating from the Pliocene, around four million years old. Anyone interested in the geology of Chiusure will find a concrete point of reference in the Pliocene clay and sand layers. In the Badlands, the walls are unstable, the material disintegrates easily and the slopes can drop to an almost vertical angle. Visitors should not leave the paths in the Badlands. For your day planning, this means that the Badlands can be viewed as a striking landscape, but require clear orientation along the existing routes.

Monte Oliveto Maggiore Abbey: Mass, frescoes and architectural history

A convent Mass with Gregorian chant is celebrated at Monte Oliveto Maggiore Abbey. The Great Cloister features 35 large frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Saint Benedict. They were initially painted by Luca Signorelli and later by Antonio Bazzi (Il Sodoma). The church of Monte Oliveto Maggiore was built at the beginning of the 15th century.

Information about admission to Monte Oliveto Maggiore Abbey and guided tours is available at infovisite@monteolivetomaggiore.it, as well as by telephone and WhatsApp at 342 0538090. The abbey lists opening hours in the morning and afternoon for every day of the year. The listed morning and afternoon opening times can be taken into account as separate time windows in your daily schedule.

The history of Chiusure

The medieval castle of Chiusure collapsed into the Badlands in the 15th century. The inhabitants of Chiusure rebuilt the castle on an adjacent promontory, thereby creating the present-day village of Chiusure. If you are travelling with children, this change can provide a concrete starting point for discussing how a place came into being, rather than considering it only through dates.

A monastery product with its own tradition

The monastic production tradition also has a precise detail: the monks make the Flora di Monteoliveto liqueur according to a recipe from the old monastery pharmacy, using 23 herbs; it matures for more than six months.

Further places for travel planning

If you would like to compare other places with Chiusure when planning your trip, you can also look at Monte Sante Marie, Arbia and Palazzina.

For the higher-level travel overview: Asciano.