Finally at the Sacro Eremo of Calmadoli – Romualdo’s heremitage was funded more than 1000 years ago in northern Tuscany and is still full of live and spiritualiy. Camaldoli is situated in the Foreste Casentinesi, not far away from Arezzo and Florence.The monastery and the heremitage of Camaldoli are the mother house of the congregation of the “Ordine benedettino dei Camaldolesi” over 100 monks all over the world.
Tall dark green European silver firs edge the heremitage to protect the cells of the monks. Some trees are hundreds of years old. Silver firs from Camaldoli were sent to Rome to build the town in the middle age. In this forest nearly anything can grow under the long branches, only some young beeches resist on the acid soil.
Today they seem to burn in a phosphorescing yellow and orange, like sunrays in the cold afternoon.
Symbolically, we met gold, silver, bronze and lead in these ancient forests. Are they part of the treasures of this landscape? The gift of silence and a feeling of deep peace filled the atmosphere, in this very special moment of the year.
