San Galgano Abbey: where the Italian Sword in the Stone is hidden

Imagine finding yourself in front of a sword embedded in stone for over 800 years. You're not at the court of Camelot but at the San Galgano Abbey and this sword in the stone looks just like King Arthur's.

In the peaceful green tuscan countryside a gothic abbey guards one of Italy's most fascinating mysteries: the San Galgano sword, a medieval weapon that was planted in the rock by the saint himself in 1180.

Right in those years, between France and England, some celtic and chivalric tales gradually gave birth to the myth of King Arthur and his sword extracted from the stone.

Does the worldwide legend of the valorous Arthur have any relation to the italian sword of San Galgano?

Let's go to the San Galgano Abbey and more precisely to the Hermitage of Montesiepi, the sword's embedded right there, in the rock, forming a cross.

The one who embedded the sword is a tuscan noble, a medieval knight, Galgano di Guidotto, and perhaps his story gave life to the legend of King Arthur and his sword "Excalibur".

From San Galgano, in the province of Siena and in the heart of Tuscany, we depart for an itinerary that touches:

- Chiusdino and the medieval villages

- the city of Siena

- the beautiful chianti route

A short journey that from the interweaving of history and legend will take you to travel the wine road, among ancient villages and rows of vines.

The San Galgano legend tells of Galgano di Guidotto, an arrogant knight born in Chiusdino in 1148.

The dissolute life of this italian medieval knight changes radically when, during one of his journeys, the Archangel Michael appears to him and leads him to the hill of Montesiepi.

Here the knight decides to abandon his unruly life to dedicate himself to penance and prayer.

The story tells that one day, while Galgano was cutting wood with his sword to make a cross, the weapon flies away and falling gets stuck in the rock. The stone opens like butter, welcoming the blade that's never moved since then.

The young man dies as a hermit a year later and he's soon named a saint. The cistercian monks founded the Abbey in the place where he'd lived as a hermit and where his sword stuck in the rock is found: the first miracle of San Galgano.

But is this story true?

Scientific studies conducted in the '90s on metal samples of the blade have confirmed the medieval authenticity of the sword, debunking theories that wanted it to be a modern fake:

- The University of Pavia analyzed the metal composition, excluding the use of modern alloys and confirming its medieval origin, consistent with the end of the 12th century

- A team of archaeologists used georadar to confirm the presence of the blade inside the boulder, ensuring that the sword's actually stuck in the rock

The San Galgano Abbey is considered one of the most beautiful gothic monuments in Italy. Built between 1218 and 1288 by cistercian monks, today it presents itself as an open-air cathedral that transmits a sense of mystery and fascination together.

Light filters through the gothic arches, illuminating what was once the floor and today is a green meadow. It's impossible not to be struck by the beauty of this place set between earth and sky.

The structure, about 69 meters long and 21 wide, represents an extraordinary example of gothic-cistercian architecture in Italy.

A few steps from the abbey stands the Hermitage of Montesiepi, a circular structure built immediately after the saint's death right on the hut where he lived and which guards the San Galgano sword.

This building represents the first place of worship dedicated to the saint. Looking at it carefully, the structure has precisely the shape of an upside-down Grail, that Grail that many arthurian followers still come stubbornly to search for.

Inside, besides the famous sword, you can admire the two 14th-century frescoes by Ambrogio Lorenzetti which, alone, are worth your visit here:

- The Annunciation

- The Majesty

What correlation is there between the two medieval knights and their swords?

Galgano performs his first miracle in Tuscany by sticking a sword in the rock.

The story of Arthur, instead, tells that the knight becomes King in Cornwall because he's the only one who manages to extract a sword stuck in a boulder.

Was the story of the first knight an inspiration for the legendary tales about the other? Let's try to understand.

The italian sword in the stone of the San Galgano Abbey is historically documented from 1180 (12th century) and even the first stories in which Arthur's figure is recognized date back more or less to the same period.

King Arthur and his knights can already be glimpsed in the work of Geoffrey of Monmouth dating back to 1136, but the version of Arthur extracting the sword from the stone appears a bit later in the french tale of Robert de Boron, between the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century.

Many scholars hypothesize that the templar knights and medieval pilgrims brought the tuscan story to France and England, where it would've transformed into the legend of Arthur.

No one can say if the story of Galgano di Guidotto influenced the spread of the myth of King Arthur (and his sword extracted from the stone), but there's a simple consideration that puts an end to every discussion: the italian sword in the stone really exists and you can see it with your own eyes at San Galgano, in Tuscany, while that of King Arthur remains in the realm of fantasy.

Galgano di Guidotti is a really existing character and historical documents attest to it, while the mythical King Arthur is precisely a fantastic... myth.

The abbey's located in the municipality of Chiusdino, in the province of Siena and it's easily reachable by car through the provincial road that connects Siena to Massa Marittima.

The site's open all year and entry to the abbey and the Hermitage of Montesiepi requires a small contribution.

We recommend visiting it before sunset, when the golden light illuminates the San Galgano abbey creating a magical atmosphere.

The visit to San Galgano transforms into an even richer experience if inserted in an itinerary that touches some of Tuscany's small treasures. Even more fascinating because they're a bit less touristy.

Having left the Abbey and its italian sword in the stone, you can venture into little Chiusdino, strolling through the alleys of the historic center, we encounter the two romanesque churches that contain the relics of San Galgano:

- The Parish Church of San Michele Arcangelo

- The Church of San Sebastiano

From Garibaldi square you can admire a magnificent natural landscape.

In the immediate surroundings of Chiusdino are very characteristic and deserve a visit:

- The village of Frosini, an ancient castle in a strategic position that in the 11th century was owned by the Counts della Gherardesca

- The tiny villages of Luriano and Castelletto immersed in the uncontaminated territory of Val di Merse

- The castle of Montalcinello, ancient medieval settlement and place of historical contention between Church (the bishops of Volterra) and Aristocracy (counts della Gherardesca)

About half an hour from the San Galgano Abbey and Chiusdino you can reach the city of the Palio: Siena enchants you every time you go.

From the Palio square with the Mangia tower, to the Public Palace, from the Cathedral to the Piccolomini Library, Siena's a treasure chest of streets and views that follow one another without pause, it's really difficult to suggest the most beautiful place.

But if you climb the Mangia tower you can have a privileged view of the entire city that removes you from embarrassment: all of Siena in a single embrace!

If you visit the San Galgano Abbey, you're in the heart of Tuscany: you can go north, south, east, or west, on your path you'll always encounter cities rich in art and history, medieval villages and roads that seem to have just come out of a fairy tale.

If the San Galgano sword has left the fascination of the middle ages in your eyes, go take the Chianti state road, passing through the village of Greve in Chianti.

It's the SR 222, a panoramic itinerary between Florence and Siena that crosses the heart of the wine zone.

Here medieval villages and castles in excellent condition alternate with vineyards and olive groves and every view that opens to your gaze will seem more beautiful than the previous one.

Visiting San Galgano means immersing yourself in one of Italy's most fascinating stories. Here really happened facts intertwine with myth and mystery envelops you.

The San Galgano sword awaits you to tell you a story that's crossed the centuries, challenging time and feeding the imagination of anyone who encounters it.