Asciano, Tuscany, Italy
Abbazia di Santa Maria di Monte Oliveto Maggiore
The mother house of the Olivetan Benedictines, a brick abbey in the Crete Senesi founded by Bernardo Tolomei, famous for the Great Cloister frescoes of the life of St Benedict by Luca Signorelli and Sodoma. It is state property, and the resident monks maintain it under the direction of the heritage authority.
The monks are renovating the guest house (Casa Ospiti) to meet safety rules: removing architectural barriers, new visitor toilets and a bathroom for each room. The Art Bonus sheet lists a EUR 400,000 project with works in progress; spending so far has outrun the donations received.
Before you act. A working, well-known abbey: the open project is a guest-house upgrade, not an emergency rescue.
Last checked 8 November 2026. Responsible body: Abbazia di S. Maria di Monte Oliveto Maggiore (donations by bank transfer under the Italian Art Bonus scheme).
Milan, Italy
The roofs of the abbey church are degraded: tile courses are irregular and water is getting in and damaging the frescoes inside. The monks' official Art Bonus sheet prices the roof works at just over EUR 1.02 million, of which about EUR 205,550 has been donated; a second open project restores the 16th-century entrance tower.
Bologna, Italy
The complex has long-standing conservation problems made worse by the 2012 earthquake. The friars are consolidating and restoring the Chiostro dei Morti: the Crucifixion fresco, columns, capitals and terracotta, the plaster, the cistern and drains and the paving. Works began in January 2026 and spending has already exceeded donations.