Abbazia di Santa Maria di Casanova (Torre)

The Abbazia di Santa Maria di Casanova is a former Cistercian monastery near Ofena in the Abruzzo region of central Italy, founded in 1191 and now protected as an Italian national monument. True to Cistercian rule, the monks chose a deliberately remote mountain valley in the Apennines, far from urban life — a siting philosophy that left the complex in striking isolation. The surviving fabric includes the campanile and partial cloister walls, their plain, unornamented stonework characteristic of Cistercian austerity. Much of the abbey fell into ruin over the centuries, lending the site a quiet, melancholy atmosphere that the surrounding Abruzzo highlands only deepen. It remains largely off the beaten track, making it a rewarding stop for those interested in medieval monastic architecture without the crowds.