| « Previous | Home | Next » | san galgano 07 June, 2007 |
 photo: david lindley san galgano, born one galgano guidotti in 1148, was originally a local nobleman and warrior. at some time the archangel michael appeared to him, showed him the way to salvation, and even told him where he should go. the next day galgano announced that his destiny was to be a hermit and he took up residence in a cave. his mother, not wanting to believe he was renouncing his heritage and nobility convinced him that he should continue to wear his fine robes and to visit his fiancée one last time - surely she would be able to persuade him to return to the fold? off he set, but somewhere along the way his horse threw him: instead of hititng the ground though he found himself lifted gently by angels who showed him a vision of jesus and the apostles on a nearby hill. he was led to the top of the hill and implored to renounce worldly pleasures once more. still having something of the knight about him galgano objected saying that was as easy as splitting rocks with his sword...at which point he thrust his sword into the stone at his feet where it stuck fast to his amazement. now convinced, he stayed on that hill and never once left it for the remainder of his life (after he died - as is the catholic way - his body became highly saught after for relics and so he travelled far wider in component form!); he lived in poverty and was supported by local farmers and the wild animals who were his companions. one day the devil sent an assassin described as a monk to kill galgano, but he was protected by the wolves who shared the hill; they chased him off and killed him, gnawing at his arms bones. today, in the church that was later built on galgano's hill, the sword still occupies pride of place in the nave, still securely embedded in the stone floor, and the gnawed arm bones of the devils emissary can still be seen: sadly though galgano's head was removed to another church at some stage! oh, and this photo? this is the inside of the domed roof of the church - inspired by etruscan and roman tombs - notable for it's 24 rings of red and white stone circles, which have religious connotations in the form of the twelve apostles and the twelve tribes of israel. the abbey featured in the photos of the past few days was in the fields at the base of the hill upon which the church was built. | |
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Posted by davidlindley Archived under: tuscany |
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