Abbazia di Badia Petroia

Badia Petroia is a former Benedictine abbey above the Nestore valley in the territory of Città di Castello. Romanesque masonry, reused decorative fragments and a substantial crypt preserve the history of a complex altered by earthquakes and later reuse.

Why it matters

The surviving structure reveals both the scale of the medieval abbey and its later reduction. Its church originally had three aisles and three apses above the crypt.

What to notice

Terracotta reliefs with geometric and animal motifs are reused in the later facade. Octagonal supports mark parts of the altered church. Below the presbytery, the three-apsed crypt has groin vaults carried by columns and piers, with reused shafts and capitals contributing to its varied stonework.

Context and history

The abbey's origins lie in the tenth century, and it is documented in 972. It developed important relationships with neighbouring towns during the Middle Ages. The monastery closed in 1571, followed eventually by agricultural use of the complex. Earthquakes caused further losses; damage in 1917 led to the removal of the bell tower in 1919. Later restoration has focused on conserving the surviving medieval fabric.