Monastero di Fonte Avellana

History

Founded around 980 on the slopes of Mount Catria by hermits linked to St Romuald, it became, with St Peter Damian, prior from 1043, one of the beacons of medieval Church reform. Dante cites it expressly in Canto XXI of Paradiso ("Tra ' due liti d'Italia surgon sassi... e rende un gibbo che si chiama Catria"), and tradition holds that he stayed here. A community of Camaldolese monks still lives here: at the heart of the complex stands the scriptorium, with natural lighting designed for the copyists, together with the old pharmacy and the library.

Visiting

What to see

Stone hermitage on Monte Catria. Cloister and crypt from the XI century. Rich scriptorium. Library with 10,000+ volumes and medieval manuscripts. Massive bell tower.

Surroundings

Monte Catria (Gorge of Hell Park). Steep trekking trails through the gorge. Wild Apennine landscape. Marche villages. Cheeses, cured meats, local wines.

Visitor information

Guided tours of the monastic rooms all year round according to the community's schedule.

Contacts

+39 0721 730261 · fonteavellana.it · For the guesthouse: foresteria@fonteavellana.it (dedicated hospitality contact); info@fonteavellana.it remains the general contact.

Hospitality and where to sleep

Guesthouse available

Monastic guesthouse, ~60 beds (singles, doubles, multi-bed), free-will offering; minimum stay normally 2 nights, booking required.

Beds and prices

A large, welcoming guesthouse: about sixty beds in single, double and multi-bed rooms plus one dormitory, with hospitality "a donativo" (free-will offering) for individuals and groups. A minimum stay of two nights is normally required and the guesthouse is normally closed in January, February and November: always book ahead by email or phone. Alternatives: farm stays and inns in Serra Sant'Abbondio and Frontone, budget range.

Services

Spring water, meals in the refectory for guesthouse guests, monastic shop with herbal teas, honey and the monks' products. The setting is isolated Apennine mountain country: no shops or workshops in the immediate vicinity, last resupply in Serra Sant'Abbondio. Cool climate even in summer: pack an extra layer for the descent.

Places to stay nearby (within 15 km)

• Foresteria del Monastero di Fonte Avellanaguesthouse
  Serra Sant'Abbondio (PU), pendici del Monte Catria · 0.1 km as the crow flies

  Price:

  Donation-based; 2-night minimum: pilgrims passing through should contact the guesthouse

  Open:

  Year-round except January, February and November (tel. 0721 730261, foresteria@fonteavellana.it)

  Facilities:

  Rooms in the monastery, meals with the community, an atmosphere of silence; groups of 10+ self-catering

  Source:

  https://fonteavellana.it/informazioni/ · https://www.camminodeicappuccini.it/en/where-to-sleep/sleep/fonte-avellana/

  Dante's thousand-year-old Camaldolese hermitage at 700 m on Monte Catria: a stage finish and one of the most memorable nights of the whole Via.

Getting there by bike

From Serra Sant'Abbondio you climb to the monastery (about 700 m altitude) on the provincial road of the upper Cesano valley: about 7 km of asphalt, the first 5 rideable and the last 2 decidedly tougher. An area beloved of cyclists as the gateway to the Catria climbs. Bikes can be left in the forecourt below the monastery. The visit to the monastic rooms is guided, with times and arrangements on the website.

The first five kilometres toward Fonte Avellana ride calmly, then the last two bite. The guesthouse almost always asks for a two-night minimum, better to know before the climb. If nobody answers, Frontone down in the valley remains plan B.

The bike can be left in the square below. Spring water, meals in the refectory for guests; no shops nearby, last supply stop in Serra Sant'Abbondio.

Map and stages