Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore
1-4 May 2025
The retreat is held in Italian and English and offers
a harmony between monastic prayer and the nourishment of the soul.
Among the activities offered are:
Monastic liturgy
Participation in lectures on the mystical life
The experience of silence and guided meditation
Tour of the Abbey
Walks around the Abbey grounds
Each day is structured to offer a unique experience for nurturing your soul.
Imagine praying with the abbey's monks, participating in the harmony of their liturgy and their chanting.
Envision the golden sunlight streaming through stained-glass windows, warming your heart as you sing.
This dream can come true in this retreat from May 1st to 4th, 2025.
This one-of-a-kind experience is designed for mind, spirit and heart renewal, immersed in a deeply contemplative setting among the Tuscan hills
The heart of this retreat is the nurturing of your inner harmony.
True harmony comes from within, and this retreat offers experiences that can deepen it.
Live different spiritual moments with Gregorian chants, walks in nature, guided meditations,
liturgical times, and mystical reflections.
Our goal is to foster a profound inner transformation that can rejuvenate your life.
One of the most rewarding aspects of the retreat is the sense of friendship among the participants.
You will meet people who share your way of "feeling" the spiritual life and your same intention
of
harmony, growth, and awareness.
The friendships you cultivate during these days will be a source of inspiration and support,
extending beyond the retreat.
The retreat at Monte Oliveto is a unique opportunity to experience the excellence of spiritual life while focusing on your inner transformation.
Spaces are limited, so we encourage you to book early.
By participating in the retreat, you will enter into the beauty of your inner life and embark
on a transformative journey
that will leave you inspired, renewed, and inwardly strengthened.
Seize the opportunity to dedicate four days to prayer, meditation, inner nourishment,
friendship, and silence
in one of Italy's most suggestive monasteries.
DETAILS
The uniqueness of the retreat lies in the synergy between communal moments and dedicated personal reflection. Specifically, the retreat includes morning communal prayers (Lauds), participation in the Holy Mass and contemplative practices.
The contemplative practices are Lectio Mystica and Guided Meditation. Lectio Mystica is the reading of particularly significant mystical texts. Guided meditation sessions will be held both in the Monastery and in the park. These meditations, through external and internal silence, foster receptivity to Divine silence.
In keeping with the ascetic tradition of mystics, a sober diet is provided. The vegetarian menu, free of alcohol, offers an opportunity for spiritual elevation and a life of simplicity.
All in harmony
The retreat itinerary is designed to offer you a harmony between prayer, meditation, silence, and spiritual growth. Each day begins with communal monastic prayer and continues with theory and practice of the mystical life.
You will have plenty of time to explore the park, visit the monastic pharmacy, and meet the monks of the abbey. The day concludes with guided meditations and evening monastic prayer.
Meals: sobriety and simplicity
Meals take place in the tower of the Abbey. This is a truly suggestive place within the beautiful park.
The choice of the menu, vegetarian and free of alcoholic beverages, is in line with an ascetic style, typical of the mystical tradition. Moreover, you will be able to experience the transformative power of sharing meals in silence.
Thursday, May 1st
15:00 -16:00 Check-in
17:00-18:00 Welcome
18:30 Vespers
19:30 Dinner
20:45 Compline
Friday, May 2nd
07:00 Coffee/Tea
07:30 Lauds and Holy Mass
08:30-09:00 Breakfast
09:00-10:00 Tour of the Abbey
10:00-11:30 The Mystical Life: theory and practice
11:30-12:15 Silence
12:15-13:00 Lunch
13:00-15:30 Silence
15:30-17:00 The Mystical Life: theory and practice
17:00-18:00 Group Meditation
18:30 Vespers
19:15 Dinner
20:45 Compline
Saturday, May 3rd
07:00 Coffee/Tea
07:30 Lauds and Holy Mass
08:30-09:00 Breakfast
9:00-10:00 Silence
10:00-11:30 The Mystical Life: theory and practice
11:30-12:15 Silence
12:15-13:00 Lunch
13:00-15:30 Silence
15:30-17:00 The Mystical Life: theory and practice
17:00-18:00 Group Meditation
18:30 Vespers
19:15 Dinner
20:45 Compline
Sunday, May 4th
07:30-08:00 Breakfast
08:15: Lauds
9:30-10:30 The Mystical Life: theory and practice
11:00 Holy Mass
12:15 Lunch
Departures
The schedule may be subject to slight changes
"Early Bird" before January 30th 2025
WHO FACILITATES THE RETREAT?
Father Raffaele Di Muro, Franciscan priest, professor and scholar of mysticism with expertise in spirituality of saints and spiritual direction. He organises and facilitates spiritual retreats.
Beatrice Carafa d'Andria, Spiritual coach, meditation and mindfulness instructor, a scholar of spirituality, mysticism, and monastic life. She organises and facilitates spiritual retreats.
About the Monastery
The Origins of the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore
"In the year 1313 from the Nativity of the Word made flesh, the aforementioned men, beloved of God, gathered in this place, with their tools and their books, to offer God a prompt service." Thus the monk Antonio da Barga recounts in his Chronicle of 1450 the beginning of our story, which saw Bernardo Tolomei, Patrizio Patrizi and Ambrogio Piccolomini initially in the desert of Acona, a desert which, with the founding charter of March 26, 1319, became the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore.
Bernardo and his friends embraced the Rule of Saint Benedict and gave life to a new monastic Congregation approved by Pope Clement VI on January 21, 1344. The various monasteries founded or aggregated from the beginning thus became part of a religious family, being united to the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore as its head.
In this way, Bernardo adopted as the specific charism of the nascent monastic family a centralized structure which, thanks to the General Chapter and the ministry of the Abbot of Monte Oliveto, who is also Abbot General and father of all the monks, develops a Unum Corpus that fosters fraternal charity, making the communities profoundly united with one another. This charism, which is still lived today through the vow of stability in the Congregation, guarantees a just autonomy of the monasteries, guided by their respective superiors." (from the website of the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore)
THE RETREAT ORGANISER
CITTA’ DELLA MISTICA
The retreat is designed to nurture your inner harmony.
True harmony resides within you, and this retreat offers transformative experiences to cultivate it.
This retreat offers experiences that can profoundly transform you.
Experience intense spiritual moments through Gregorian chants, walks in the park, guided meditations,
Our objective is to guide you towards a deep inner transformation
that will result in a harmonious and peaceful life.
"Early Bird" before January 30th 2025
English (UK) 
Italiano