The Abbey of Goleto, ruins on a hill above the Ofanto Valley
Among the hills of Irpinia, the Abbey of Goleto: Romanesque towers, Roman stones and a roofless church tell the story of eight centuries.
Foto: Mentnafunangann (CC BY-SA 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons
You reach Goleto by roads that climb gently among the fields of Irpinia, and the final bend opens the view onto a complex of grey stone set on a hill that overlooks the Ofanto Valley, a short distance from Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi. No queues, no tour buses: often you walk among the walls almost alone, accompanied only by the wind and the odd pilgrim.
The abbey was founded in 1133 by William of Vercelli, the same hermit who gave rise to the sanctuary of Montevergine. It began as a convent for women, with a small community of men charged with guarding it, and for two centuries it became rich and powerful. Then came the decline: the plague from 1348, the suppression ordered by Pope Julius II in 1506, the final abandonment in the Napoleonic era. Only from the 1970s onwards did restoration give the place back its dignity.
The heart of the complex is the Torre Febronia, commissioned in 1152 by the abbess who gave it her name. Look closely at its blocks: many come from a Roman mausoleum and still bear carved bas-reliefs, ancient stones reused in a medieval tower. Next to it opens the upper church of San Luca, built in 1255, where Apulian Gothic and Cistercian forms blend into one of the most refined spaces in the South.
Further down stands the great 18th-century church, designed by the Neapolitan architect Domenico Antonio Vaccaro between 1735 and 1745. Today it is a skeleton open to the sky: roofless, with arches that collapsed after the 1980 earthquake that devastated these lands. To walk beneath its absent vaults, with grass growing where the floor once was, is the most powerful image of Goleto.
Come in spring or early autumn, when the light is soft and the hills turn green. Respect the silence, especially if you meet the small religious community that still inhabits part of the complex, and take away only photographs. Goleto rewards those who know how to slow down.
Related guides: Not just Capri: islands and coastal villages of Campania without mass tourism.
Getting there
By car it is best to exit the A16 motorway at the Grottaminarda toll gate and continue along the SS303 and SS425 towards the high Irpinia; the abbey stands a few kilometres from Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi, well signposted as Goleto. Alternatively you can arrive from Avellino Est following the Ofantina towards Lioni. The reference airport is Naples.
Practical guides for Napoli
Practical info
When is the best time to visit The Abbey of Goleto?
The recommended time is April, May, June, September and October, when it is less crowded.
Is The Abbey of Goleto crowded?
The Abbey of Goleto is a almost deserted destination compared with the more touristy ones.
Where is The Abbey of Goleto?
The Abbey of Goleto is located in Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi, Campania, Italy.
Altre alternative a Abbazia di Montecassino
Guide selezionate dalla nostra redazione, tutte alternative alla stessa meta affollata:
How to get there
- 🚆 Nearest station: Sant' Angelo dei Lombardi ~2 km as the crow flies
- ✈️ Nearest airport: Aeroporto di Salerno - Costa d'Amalfi QSR ~38 km as the crow flies
Nearest points as the crow flies (source OpenStreetMap): actual times depend on the roads, often mountain ones.
