Abbey of Santa Maria di Morimondo (Abbazia Santa Maria di Morimondo)
This 12th-century Cistercian abbey, located just outside the center of Milan, is a welcome respite from the urban bustle of Italy’s fashion capital. Visit the historic complex that blends Gothic, Renaissance, and baroque elements in its church, cloister, and granges, and savor the reflective silence in the monastic interiors.
Morimondo, Milan, 20081
The Basics
A peaceful oasis just a short drive from downtown Milan, the Morimondo Abbey is built along a slope above the Ticino River. Highlights include the church, which has typical Cistercian architecture outside and gothic arches soaring above a 16th-century wooden choir inside; the monastery, home to the historic cloister and halls used by the monks in their daily life; and a network of granges (monastic farms) and rural oratories surrounding the abbey.
To visit the monastery, you must hire an official guide or come as part of a group tour, so book your tickets and tour in advance.
Things to Know Before You Go
Wear modest attire covering your shoulders and knees to enter the abbey’s church and oratories.
There is a lot of ground to cover in the abbey and on the granges, so wear comfortable shoes and a sun hat.
The monastery is accessible to wheelchair users.
The abbey church and cloister can be visited without a guide; the monastery is only accessible via a guided tour.
Tours of the monastery include Founders’ Hall and the cloister, chapter house, workrooms, loggia, refectory, and dormitory.
How to Get There
Morimondo Abbey (Abbazia Santa Maria di Morimondo) is located in the village of Morimondo, just southwest of Milan, and can only be reached by car. Take highway A7 to the Binasco exit, then continue southwest to highway 526.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
Tours are offered each afternoon and must be booked in advance except on Saturday and Sunday. To visit just the church and cloister without a guide, stop by in the morning on weekdays and in the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday.
Granges and Oratories
Like many historic Cistercian abbeys, Morimondo Abbey includes a network of medieval farm complexes and rural chapels belonging to the monastery that extends across the surrounding countryside. To visit, request information and a map at the abbey and drive from site to site.
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