Abbazia di San Michele Arcangelo
The Abbey of St. Michael the Archangel is the most important building in Montescaglioso, one of the most significant of Basilicata. It lies on the Greek Acropolis whose remains, urban structures and necropolis (VII BC to Roman times), were found in the cloisters and gardens. The origins of the cult can be traced to the presence of the Medieval Benedictine monasticism, probably founded around the year 893. The Abbey knows a great development between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries, with the passage of Montescaglioso to the Norman family of Macabeo, which will support rooting on the territory of the monastery with donations, privileges and benefits, making Montescaglioso a major center of control and administration in Metaponto. The annuities from this large fortune allow the realization of numerous extension work and renewal: the cloister and the entrance with late Medieval arched portal. In the fifteenth century, the monastery passed to the Commendatari Abbots, who squander its heritage; then, at the Benedictine Congregation of Reformed St. Giustina of Padua. Between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries ending its restorations: retrieves the missing goods and reorganized productive activities of the monks. At this point, the Abbey takes on today's configuration. Inside, as part of the originary decorative, are a cycle of upstairs frescoes (XVI century), a second course in the library (seventeenth century) and other fragments in the cloisters, in the church and in the Chapter House.
