Camaldoli () is a ''

frazione A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' ('municipality') in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidat ...

'' of the ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' of

Poppi Poppi () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Arezzo in the Italian region Tuscany, located about east of Florence and about northwest of Arezzo. Poppi borders the following municipalities: Bibbiena, Castel Focognano, Castel San N ...

, in

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. It is mostly known as the ancestral seat of the

Camaldolese The Camaldolese Hermits of Mount Corona () are a Catholic Church, Catholic monastic order of pontifical right for men founded by Romuald, St. Romuald. Its name is derived from the Holy Hermitage () in Camaldoli, high in the mountains of Tuscany, ...

monastic order, originated in the eponymous hermitage, which can still be visited. The name was derived from Tedald's diploma of 1027 in which he writes that the church is located "in loco qui dicitur Campo Malduli" - 'in a place which is named Maldolo's field'.

Overview

The Holy Hermitage and Monastery of Camaldoli is situated in an ancient forest in the Tuscan Apennines. It was founded about 1012 by

Saint Romuald Romuald (; 951 – traditionally 19 June, c. 1025/27 AD) was the founder of the Camaldolese order and a major figure in the eleventh-century "Renaissance of eremitical asceticism".John Howe, "The Awesome Hermit: The Symbolic Significance o ...

, a Benedictine monk, with the permission of

Tedald, Bishop of Arezzo Tedald (c. 990 – 12 June 1036), also known as Theodald, Theodaldus, Tedaldus, Tedaldo, Teodaldus, Teodaltus, or Teodaldo, was the forty-third Bishop of Arezzo from 1023 until his death. Tedald came from the highest ranks of the nobility of ...

. In the monastery of Camaldoli there is a welcoming room, a great hall, and an old style pharmacy. The pharmacy was originally a laboratory where monks studied and worked with medicinal herbs. These medicines would be used in the old hospital which can still be visited today. The precious walnut décor dates back to 1543. The church, meanwhile, was constructed in the Baroque style and contains works by

Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work ''Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ideol ...

. It was established to deal with the ever-growing number of pilgrims - drawn by good reports of the monks, and for reflection in the middle of the forest. A few kilometers farther up the mountain is the "Sacred Hermitage," or ''Sacro Eremo'' which is the more ancient part of the foundation. It was personally established by St. Romuald and has served as the heart of both the community and the order, which bears the location's name. An important document of

Political Catholicism The Catholic Church and politics concerns the interplay of Catholicism with religious, and later secular, politics. The Catholic Church's views and teachings have evolved over its history and have at times been significant political influences ...

in Italy, the Codice di Camaldoli, was drafted in the monastery in July, 1943.

References

On the medieval development, see: * Daniel R. Curtis: ''Florence and its hinterlands in the late Middle Ages: contrasting fortunes in the Tuscan countryside, 1300-1500.'' In: ''

Journal of Medieval History The ''Journal of Medieval History'' is a major international academic journal devoted to all aspects of the history of Europe in the Middle Ages. Each issue contains 4 or 5 original articles on European history, including the British Isles, North ...

.'' Vol 38.4 (2012), pp. 472–49
(online)
Frazioni of the Province of Arezzo Monasteries in Tuscany Camaldolese monasteries in Italy Benedictine monasteries in Italy Poppi {{Arezzo-geo-stub