Stream that crosses the monastery

The presence of water next to the shelter of the cliff, the abundance of game, the forests and the lands that surrounded it, were the main reasons, according to legend, why the Opila and Alpidio brothers decided to move to the area, restore the churches they had found, prepare the land to create gardens and build the monastery.

Water was a fundamental element for the construction of the building and the survival of the community. Not only was the entire monastery supplied, but it powered the mill that the monastery had. The mill was one of the most important instruments during the Middle Ages. The monks were allowed to grind their grain, but it was also used by the surrounding peasants, who, after paying the tax set for the use of this good, could chop their cereals. This made the water become one of the sources of wealth of the monastery.

It is very interesting to observe how, after the extension of the 18th century monastery, the water course was covered by the new construction, offering a very suggestive image.