Majestic and solemn, the Abbey of San Giovanni in Venere dominates the famous Costa dei Trabocchi from the top of a promontory, affording an enchanting panorama that embraces the Adriatic Sea and the surrounding cultivated hills. We are in Fossacesia, Abruzzo, in a place where nature, art and spirituality have blended harmoniously for more than a thousand years.
Ancient origins and pagan legend
The place name “in Venere” refers to the legend that a temple dedicated to Venus Conciliatrice stood in the area occupied today by the abbey. All that remains of that temple are literary records and the striking “Fountain of Venus” at the foot of the hill, where until the twentieth century women wishing to conceive a child went.
The site’s Christian roots date back to the 6th century, when the monk Martin, a disciple of St. Benedict, promoted the construction of an early church on the ruins of the pagan temple. However, the official foundation of the abbey is attributed to Count Transmondo II, in 1015, while its most important architectural and spiritual development occurred between the 12th and 13th centuries under the leadership of abbots Oderisio II and Rainaldo.
Architecture and solar symbolism
The present abbey church, built between 1165 and 1204, is an imposing Cistercian-Romanesque building with three naves separated by ogival arches and a raised presbytery. At the foot of the altar is the crypt, supported by bare columns from the ancient Roman temple.
Particularly fascinating are the portals that adorn the exterior:
-The Moon Portal, on the facade, made of finely carved white marble, receives the light of sunset on the summer solstice, directly illuminating the chancel and crypt.
-The three rear apses, called the Gate of the Sun, are crossed by the sun’s rays during the winter solstice.
Above the lunette of the central portal stands Christ Enthroned between St. John the Baptist and St. Benedict, while the marble pillars depict scenes from the life of the Baptist.
Crypt and frescoes
The crypt, the spiritual heart of the complex, holds valuable 13th-century frescoes, restored in 2009, depicting:
-Christ Blessing Enthroned between Saints Peter, Paul, John the Baptist and Evangelist;
-The Enthroned Virgin and Child between St. Michael and St. Nicholas;
-Christ between Saints Vitus and Philip.
These frescoes, by an unknown author but of the Central Italian school, testify to the high artistic level reached by the monastic community in medieval times.
The cloister and monastic life
Through the left aisle or the monastic entrance one enters the impressive 13th-century cloister, partly rebuilt between 1932 and 1935. Elegant three-mullioned windows embellish it, and among the stone materials is an inscription by Abbot Oderisius II attesting to the consecration of the new church in 1165.
In the Golden Age, the abbey housed more than 80 Benedictine monks, devoted to study, craftsmanship and soul care. It was a major spiritual and cultural center, owning numerous castles, saltworks, churches, ports and lands in Abruzzo, Apulia, Marche, Romagna and across the Adriatic.
Decline, revival and present life
The abbey suffered numerous devastations, including that of 1194 at the hands of the Crusaders, sea storms, looting, the plague of 1478, and the catastrophic earthquake of 1456. After centuries of decline, it was entrusted to the Philippine Fathers, then to the Jesuits and finally, in 1954, to the Passionist Fathers, who still guard the complex today.
Declared a national monument in 1881, the Abbey of San Giovanni in Venere is today one of the symbolic places of Abruzzo. Frequented by tourists, scholars and the faithful, it is chosen by many couples as a place to celebrate their weddings, thanks to the breathtaking view and the spirituality that still pervades every stone.
Ph. MiC
