The Legacy of the Cistercians

The Legacy of the Cistercians – Italy

Directed by Alessandro Melazzini | 2019 | arte | SWR

Using the example of five monasteries, the film explores the artistic and cultural heritage of the Cistercian order in Italy. It shows how the materials of the Po Valley can be found in the Chiaravalle Milanese Abbey and how the art of the famous painter and builder Giotto was able to penetrate the usually stark rooms of a Cistercian church. In the buildings of the big abbeys of Lazio, influences of Burgundy are mixed with the traditions of local craftsmen. But the film also focuses on the monks representing the order today and regular visitors who try to leave their every day life behind and find some peace and quiet.