Abbadia di San Michele Arcangelo

The Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo (Saint Michael the Archangel) also known as the “Abbey of Sant'Angelo” is a place of worship situated on the street named after it in Taurano.

Standing on a rocky limestone spur at the topmost point of this Irpinian town, overlooking a sheer drop to the Lauro valley below, the history of this building is linked to its affiliation with several religious orders: firstly the Basilians, a Greek monastic order, then the Benedictines and finally the Curia of Nola. In the 11th and 12th centuries the Abbey was at its peak splendour, and played a significant role for the whole of the Lauro Valley. After a period of crisis, in the 15th century the Confraternity of the Body of Christ was founded here and remained until the early 20th century, also serving as a care home for monks from the surrounding area.

Today, the Abbey is a sombre, elegant building with architectural and structural features from different eras (early medieval, Baroque and contemporary). Following the 16th-century restoration, the original building was incorporated into the new complex, whose Baroque decorations have been altered during a series of restoration projects. It now comprises a church, the Abbot's residence, utility rooms and a large room used as a cellar. Inside the Church of Sant'Angelo, the noteworthy features are the 16th-century portal made from grey tuff stone and decorated with plant motifs, the rectangular floor plan and the single nave that leads into six side chapels: three on each side, of varying depths. The artistic value of this church is enhanced by the large number of frescoes, including the “Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan”.

Standing between heaven and earth, the Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo is not only a religious landmark for the community of Taurano but is also an architectural symbol for the Lauro Valley together with the Lancellotti Castle that stands a short distance away.