The Badia Fiorentina is a long established abbey in Florence, located near the ancient center of the city.
A new religious order recently occupied the Badia, with the brothers living in the cloister and the sisters living separately nearby.
Every Monday, the brothers and sisters leave Florence for a time of peaceful contemplation outside the city. So, every Monday, the cloister is opened to the public. We visited the cloister one Monday not long ago and we delighted to find a compact but beautiful cloister with ancient frescoes and something very special.
The very special something is pictured below. In the center of the courtyard of the cloister is a very large orange tree. The tree gives the cloister its name, the Orange Tree Cloister.
The cloister is a peaceful place to walk or just sit. Although located in a noisy part of the city, the cloister is isolated and tranquil. It would be a nice place to meditate or to break bread with others.
Frescoes: The cloister is lined with many frescoes. Some are ancient and barely visible today. Others are not as old and have survived the elements miraculously.
The Church: Next to the cloister is the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta, a small but very tall and lovely church.
The church's bell tower is a prominent landmark of the Florentine skyline. So, it is always easy to locate the Badia Fiorentina.
The Shop: You might recall from an earlier blog post that the sisters of the order operate a small shop inside the Badia. The shop sells religious items and food products made in other convents in the region. During our time in Florence, we visited the shop often and enjoyed getting to know Sister Josepha who worked there. We also enjoyed many of the food products sold there, especially raspberry jam and honeydew honey.
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