The male monastery
In the male monastery, at the time of the abbesses, there was a small number of monks who had to be present for worship and liturgies and who helped manage the enormous Goleto estate. At the entrance of the monastery, in the cloister to the left, there is an ancient sarcophagus that was immediately outside the abbey. It was drilled because it was used as a fountain by shepherds to let their animals drink and as a washtub by women for the laundry. Due to its preciousness, it was brought back inside the abbey.
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Further Information
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The role of the monks
‘The construction of the male part was dictated by the need to care for the nuns: the male monastery, with its own prior, is subordinate to the female one, therefore in some way dependent. The role of the monks is to take care of the spiritual life of the nuns, manage the new churches that the monastery will acquire in its territory, represent the nuns in disputes, and support them in temporal matters. ...also, the abbess, like other women governing double monasteries, will exercise some of the powers reserved for bishops.’ Marina Santini in Donne e conoscenza storica (Women and historical knowledge) http://www.url.it/donnestoria/testi/libere/marinaindice.htm Following the 2023-24 restorations, directed by architect Angelo Verderosa, the upper floor room (called former library) has been converted into a multimedia museum equipped with high-quality technology aimed at teaching about and promoting Goleto. Additionally, the side rooms of the large open-air church have been restored and are now museum rooms.
