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Convento di San Francesco Cetona
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Convento di San Francesco
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Founded, as tradition suggests, by St.Francis of Assisi, the monastery has endured enlargements and alterations throughout the centuries. Waddingo, ancient historian, relates in his annals : “Seraphicus Pater venit Scytonium non longe a Clusio in the year 1200”, ascribing the foundation of the Monastery in the same year to St. Francis himself, who assigned the responsability of taking care of it to the faithful Beato Egidio .At first simple leafy shelters sprung up, then the people from Cetona wanted “ a worthier place where the monks could rest”, so a small church with a small monastery with eight cells was built. We’re not really sure that such chronicle is authentic , but part of it, is surely true, since the presence of St. Francis near Sartiano has been truly evidenced in Franciscan documents. Also, one of the first Franciscan monks was “Guidus Scytonesis” ( He was probably Beato Guido Lucaroni from Cetona, one of Beato Egidio’s disciples). The entry portal to the monastery dates 1500, and on the architrave are inscribed the following: “DOM.PORTA A GETTUMULU PER FRANCISCE DIENOMEDES- VISITA 1505”. From the portal one enters a cloister where in the center stands a large underground reservoir to collect rainwater.
The arcade that encircles the cloister presents some interesting features on the capitals of the columns on the left hand side. The Church, positioned in front of the entrance, stands out from the arcade, because of its height, and can be dated considering its structure around 1500. On the left side of the cloister, after an opening that takes one to extended and excellently taken care woods, stands an ancient and very small chapel.
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