Galgano Guidotti was born in 1148 into a relatively noble family. At the age of 32, he had spent most of his life being a violent and selfish knight. That year, he had a vision of the archangel Michael who would have told him to change his behavior.
Guidotti then became a Hermite and settled in a cave near there. When he was on horseback one day, he was mystically drawn to Montesiepi, a hill near his hometown, Chiusdino. He then had a vision of the Apostles, of Christ and of Mary and he was again told to change his behavior and to become again as before. From this moment, there are different versions of the rest of this legend.
In one version, he replied that it is easier said than done and that it is almost as easy as breaking rock with a pebble. To demonstrate the veracity of his words, he would have thrown his sword on the rocky ground at his feet and noticed that it had sunk almost to the hilt without difficulty. In another version, he only marks the ground with his sword in the place where he was shown to create the impression of a cross. In both cases, there is still a sword in this place, embedded deep in the ground these days.
If you want to see the real "Sword in Stone" which is considered by many to be the inspiration behind the legend of King Arthur, find a luxury villa in Siena, near the chapel which contains the Sword and come and spend a day in it.
Guidotti died a year after these events and was canonized barely four years later. The Cistercians built a chapel in memory of the Saint with the Sword in its center after they received Montesiepi as a gift. Their own abbey is located nearby and has been in ruins for centuries. However, you can still visit the grand ruins and see the Sword today. The legend says that after his death, many tried to steal the Sword of Saint Galgano. But no one succeeds and the chapel still houses a pair of mummified hands which would have belonged to a thief who had tried to take the Sword and who had been brutally killed by wolves.
For many years it was said that the Sword was a copy, but carbon dating and stylistic analysis have allowed us to verify that it comes from the right period of history. But we can't prove how she got stuck in the stone and who put her here. It is this dating of the stone also allowed to be also the source of inspiration of the Excalibur stories.
Nowadays, the Sword is kept in a glass bopite to avoid trying to remove it from the ground, which caused damage in the past. You will not be able to remove it from the ground to prove that you are the legitimate heir to the throne in England, but if you pass in the region of Siena, you should still stop for a moment !
Please come with us for a weekend in Indre and Loir Valley visiting sites.
Colette Fitzpatrick
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