stands in the middle and is connected to a cistern which receives rain-water. The church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary as it is customary for Cistercian churches, was built on the north side of the cloister. The plain façade is adorned only with a rose window and a complex portal. It was further embellished with a three span narthex in the 15th century. The interior of the church is Latin cross in shape. It is divided into one nave and two aisles by pilasters, crowned by Romanesque capitals. The Chapter House is the holiest place in the monastery after the church. It was built on the eastern side of the cloister. Here the abbots would read a chapter of St Benedict's Rule every day, hence the name, the most important decisions about the abbey were made and business was transacted. The refectory is on the south-western side of the cloister, but only the lay-brothers' one still survives. It was built on a rectangular plan, the cross vaults of which rest on six wonderful Roman columns. The dormitories are on the western side of the cloister. The lay-brothers part is on the floor above; it is partly used as a meeting place, and it is also taken up by the nineteenth-century Bandini building. Monastery The monastery, which is next to the church, still functions as a Cistercian community. It boasts a beautiful cloister rebuilt in the 15th century. All around the cloister, it is possible to see the lay brothers' refectory, the cellar, the chapter house and the grottoes. See also Urbisaglia Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia External links Riserva Naturale Abbadia di Fiastra Romanesque architecture in le Marche Cistercian monasteries in Italy Roman Catholic churches in the Marche Urbisaglia Churches in Tolentino