Follina
Follina is a municipality in the province of Treviso, located along the Prosecco road between Vittorio Veneto and Valdobbiadene, i...
Updated 12 July 2026 · Sources: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbazia_di_Santa_Maria_(Follina) · https://borghipiubelliditalia.it/en/borgo/follina/ · https://www.veraclasse.it/viaggi/follina-visitare-il-borgo-antico-e-labbazia-cistercense/
The story
The story of Follina
On the Prosecco road
Follina lies about forty kilometres from Treviso, along the road connecting Vittorio Veneto to Valdobbiadene, in the heart of the hills of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG denomination, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The landscape surrounding the town alternates vineyards, woodland and small villages, in one of the best known wine regions of the Veneto.
The Abbey of Santa Maria
The heart of Follina is the Abbey of Santa Maria, also called Sanavalle, whose history begins in the eleventh century with the settlement of a group of Benedictine monks. From 1146 the Cistercian monks took over, remaining until 1448 and giving the abbey its most characteristic architectural appearance. The present building was constructed on the ruins of the earlier twelfth century Benedictine abbey, from which it inherited the Latin cross plan, with a west facing facade and an eastern apse, along with a rich sculptural apparatus laden with symbolic meaning.
The cloister and the wool town
One of the most precious elements of the abbey complex is the cloister, dating from 1268, which surrounds an internal garden and preserves traces of the original Romanesque-Gothic architecture. Around the abbey, over the centuries, grew the village of Follina, also known as the wool town for the textile tradition rooted there, historically linked to the monks' activity and to the watercourses used for processing cloth.
A village among the most beautiful in Italy
Follina is part of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy circuit and has received the Orange Flag from the Touring Club Italiano, recognitions awarded to towns that combine quality of hospitality, historical value and care for the landscape. Old palazzi, historic fountains and the compact village gathered around the abbey form a coherent whole, appreciated both by visitors passing through and by those who stop to explore the Prosecco area in greater depth.
Experiences not to miss
- Visitare l'Abbazia di Santa Maria e il suo chiostro del 1268
- Visit the Abbey of Santa Maria and its 1268 cloister
Routes · Trovido Route
