The Farneta Abbey (from Farnia or gentle Oak) was built up before the year 1000 by Benedectine Monks.

Like many of the most ancient Churches in Christian tradition even the Farneta Abbey was celebrated to Our Lady of the Assumption.

In 1500, after the unlucky period of Abbots Commendators who caused the leaving away Benedectine monks, the Abbey passed under the Monte Oliveto Monks and since 1780 to the Centurial Priests of Diocese of Cortona.

The preromanic Church has the "tau" shape, the latin cross without the "head" and is oriented with its absyds turned to East (wher the sun uses to rise up, the Light...the Redentor).

The abbey has suffered of many destructions.

In 1200 some of its side chapels have been closed. At the end of 1700 about the half of the main nave was destroyed (14 meters). 

In the early 1800 the bell tower was destroyed and nowadays it is replaced by two bell gables. 

In 1923 the transept was destroyed and the absydal structure matching the understaying structure of the Crypt too.

We are astonished that further to such destruction the Abbey is still so beautiful.

The ov Farneta Abbey starts by the group made by the stone baptism basin dated of 1712 and the shell-shaped holy water pile dated of 1600.

The canvas with the Baptism of Jesus was painted by D.Martini in 1893. On the right side of the transept you can find three frescos that nowadays are not so well preserved.

The main fresco is the Madonna from Loreto with the saints Rocco and Sebastiano painted on february of 1527 by Tommaso Bernabei from Cortona.

The second fresco represents the Virgin Saint Lucy and Martyr protector of the sight.

The third fresco is about Saint Peter Martyr (the first Dominican friar killed in Seveso and buried in Saint Eustorgio Church in Milan).

But the real treasure of the Abbey is represented by the Crypt.

It was carried back to light (after over 350 years) on february 29th 1940 getting it free of the dead people piled up of the earth and ruins and so many snakes.

The entry of the Crypt of the Abbey is passed through by a tight ladder that lays on one side in the right transept.

The exit from the crypt leads you to the vestry where you can see different stones with millenary writings (Abbot Ado A.D. 1100). 

The shape of the Crypt is tri-holed cells, with barrel arches and all in a cross shaped basis, they are held by original roman columns and among them one is in Pink Granite from Assuan.

Other things to find out are the Funeral Stone Statue with the writing "Quarta Erennia figlia del liberto Pompeo" e la scultura di Achelòo (a bull's head with a face).