Viboldone Abbey

Viboldone, a medieval abbey at the gates of Milan

In San Giuliano Milanese, in Lombardy, the village of Viboldone has retained something of its original soul: that of a monastic village set amid the fields of the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano. It all began in 1176, when the Humiliati, a religious movement bringing together clergy, monks, nuns, and lay people, founded one of their first churches here. Communal prayer, preaching of the Gospel, and artisanal work, particularly wool dyeing, shaped the rhythm of life in this place.

The church was completed in 1348, as a plaque to the right of the portal recalls, under the leadership of Prior Guglielmo Villa. After the suppression of the Humiliati, the Olivetan Benedictines took over, until their forced departure at the end of the 18th century. The abbey, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, the "Two Pillars," then fell silent for more than a century and a half, until a handful of young women decided to give it back its voice.

The Benedictine nuns of Viboldone

On May 1, 1941, in the midst of World War II, a first group of sisters arrived at Viboldone under the leadership of Mother Margherita Marchi. They came from Montefiolo and the Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome, where they had worked for the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology. Their vision: to rediscover a form of women's monasticism closer to its biblical, patristic, and liturgical roots, to live by the work of their hands, and to cultivate a genuine spirit of hospitality. In Milan, Cardinal Schuster, himself a former Benedictine abbot, welcomed them as a father; a young Catalan monk in exile, Aureli Maria Escarré, future Abbot of Montserrat, accompanied their first steps.

Upon arriving, the sisters discovered in the bell tower a large 15th-century wooden crucifix, abandoned and literally in pieces. Mother Marchi had the fragments gathered into a crate, where they would wait until 1998 to be restored. It now watches over the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament: a beautiful image of this community that knew how to raise up what had fallen.

In 1960, the Archbishop of Milan, Archbishop Montini, future Paul VI, secured the community's stability at Viboldone, and a new monastery designed by architect Luigi Caccia Dominioni was consecrated in 1964. The sisters still live by their work: restoration of ancient books for more than forty years, for public libraries and archives, dioceses, and private clients, as well as typography and bookbinding, including the handcrafting of marbled papers. Having learned the printer's trade in the catacombs is, you must admit, no ordinary path.

A spiritual retreat in Lombardy, at the rhythm of the Word

At Viboldone, hospitality flows directly from the Rule of Saint Benedict: "All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ." The nuns welcome brothers and sisters in faith, pilgrims, seekers of meaning, and seekers of God, to listen, share in prayer, and experience something of the community's life. There is no need to have all the answers to come: the door of Viboldone is open to all who seek, believer or not.

The heart of the day is the liturgy. Early risers can join the sisters for the Office of Readings (5:20 a.m. on weekdays, 5:55 a.m. on Sundays), then Lauds at 7:10 a.m., the Eucharist (8:00 a.m. on weekdays, 10:15 a.m. on Sundays), Sext at 12:15 p.m., and Vespers (6:00 p.m. on weekdays, 5:30 p.m. on Sundays). The community gives a central place to lectio divina, the prayerful reading of Scripture: every Saturday at 4:45 p.m., a lectio prepares the Sunday liturgy. The sisters sum up their path in three Latin words, per ducatum Evangelii, under the guidance of the Gospel.

The Casa del Priore: your stay at Viboldone Abbey

Guests are housed in the Casa del Priore, or "Ancient House," connected to the abbey by a portico. Part of the building dates back to the 12th century, but most of it is from the 16th century, as are the frescoes that adorn many of the rooms, particularly the Music Room and the Prior's Studiolo. Sleeping beneath Renaissance-painted walls is not the worst way to find renewed focus.

The guest house includes:

• 7 single rooms and 2 double rooms
• 2 four-bed rooms
• Under the eaves, a large dormitory with 8 bunk beds and 1 single bed, as well as a single room

On the ground floor, the house has a conference room seating 50, an adjoining room seating 20, a dining room seating 40, and a library for small groups. Enough to welcome a solo retreatant as well as a parish or a youth group.

Around Viboldone Abbey: frescoes, countryside, and Milan

Between the liturgical hours, take time to look at the church itself. Its brick facade, punctuated by twin-arched windows and adorned with white stone, opens through a marble portal topped by a Madonna and Child surrounded by saints. Above the transept, the conical bell tower follows the Cistercian tradition. Inside, a sober nave is almost entirely covered in color: Viboldone houses one of the largest ensembles of Gothic frescoes in Lombardy. Among the highlights are a Virgin in Majesty dated 1349, scenes from the life of Christ, and above all a Last Judgment attributed to Giusto de' Menabuoi, inspired by Giotto's in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. A striking detail: usually placed near the exit to warn the faithful, here it is painted in the section reserved for the community, as a reminder intended for the monks alone. Guided tours allow visitors to discover all its secrets.

Outside, the village of Viboldone stretches amid the farmland of the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano, ideal for a quiet walk. And Milan is not far away, making the abbey a precious stopping point for those who live in or pass through the Lombard metropolis. A monastery at the gates of the city, as Cardinal Martini once wrote: perhaps that is the true charm of Viboldone.