The Convent de Le Celle is a 13th-century

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

convent located in Le Celle, just outside

Cortona Cortona (, ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Arezzo, in Tuscany, Italy. It is the main cultural and artistic centre of the Val di Chiana after Arezzo. Toponymy Cortona is derived from Latin Cortōna, and from Etruscan 𐌂𐌖𐌓� ...

, region of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

, Italy. It is also referred to as the ''Convento delle Celle'' or ''Eremo Le Celle''. A small hermitage was erected here in circa 1211 or 1221, and it briefly housed St

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...

himself in his lifetime. In 1235, Brother Elias of Cortona, Minister general of the Franciscans at the death of the founder, erected a sanctuary, refectory and five monk cells (rooms) of similar size to the one that Francis himself had used. Monks remained at the site for nearly a century, then the monastery was almost abandoned. The structures passed to the parish and were occupied by the

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...

monks in 1537, who dedicated the church to the St

Michael Archangel Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

. This order was dedicated to a more eremitic lifestyle befitting this rural site. In 1634, the church was rededicated to St Antony of Padua. From 1804 to 1811, the Napoleonic government expelled the monks. They returned later in the 19th century. The rustic stone buildings nestle in terraces on a mountain-side with a Holly Oak and cypress grove. The main convent is accessed through a stone pedestrian bridge spanning a small spring stream. The church has a few ancient works, but many of the present artwork is modern. The Capuchin order is presently associated with the site, and manages the site as a rustic retreat for visitors interested in prayer and mediation.Official site for Franciscan Convent

References

{{coord missing, Italy Monasteries in Tuscany Christian monasteries established in the 13th century Cortona