... the origins ...
The origin of the abbey as to the legend
The Abbey was built at the end of the VIth
century around the primitive church of San
Silvestro by the noble Lombard Lady Rotruda.
An
old legend says that Saint Severo died and his remains were brought to
Orvieto. Lady Rotruda, wanting to seize them, touched the coffin,
however her hand was entrapped.
To have it realeased she was compelled to promise the
foundation of this abbey and a deserving burial to Saint Severo Monk.
This is the legendary origin of the Abbey of Saints Severo and
its disciple Martyrio.
The popes' footsteps echo through the walls
After
the long period of administration by the Premonstratensian Canons, a
number of commendatory abbots succeeded each other at the abbey, first
among them Cardinal Pietro Barbo.
Other notable men
also wandered along these abbey corridors, men like Cardinal Nicolaus
von Kues, known as Cusano, Simoncelli, Scipio Borghese, Aldobrandini,
Barberini, Altieri.
... the restoration ...
Since more than one century the Badia is belonging to an
Umbrian family descending from Saint Claire of Assisi, the Counts
Fiumi di Sterpeto.
Soon
in the first years of the new management, the Abbey came to a new life
through challenging restoration works that were essential for the
preservation of this structure.
Together with the
maintainance works, several areas were modified in order to create a
residential hotel and a restaurant of exceptional quality.