Sambucina Abbey

The ancient Sambucina Abbey (or Santa Maria della Sambucina) in Luzzi, in the province of Cosenza, was one of the most important medieval places of worship in southern Italy. It was built around the middle of the 12th century by the Cistercians and soon became one of the main religious, artistic and cultural centres of the region: personalities of the calibre of Gioacchino da Fiore and many other prominent figures stayed here. Between 1140 and 1160, the Sambucina Abbey took over the Church of Santa Maria Requisita and, even earlier, the Monastery of Santa Maria di Mensuo, under the Benedictines. A place of privileges and protection by popes and emperors, the Abbey of the Sambucina was the site of excellent graphic experiments and the production of refined illuminated manuscripts.

The Sambucina Abbey presents elements of considerable artistic interest: on the outside, the large entrance archway and the portal rich in ornamental sculptural motifs; on the inside, the apsidal wall with three single-lancet windows and a series of valuable works of art, such as the fresco depicting the Madonna and Child and the Assumption in Glory with Angels and the Twelve Apostles, both by the Tuscan school dating back to the early 17th century.