San Galgano

Galgano was a knight born to rich parents in 1148 but he renounced the material world and also the arts of war. He attempted to break his sword against a rock, but instead the sword was swallowed by the stone, a sign that God approved of his project. He died a hermit in 1181 and was declared a saint in 1185.

A Cistercian abbey was built near the site of Galgano's hermitage in 1218 in Gothic style, reflecting the French origins of the monks. The abbey's church now lies in ruins in the magnificent Tuscan landscape.