Zoom in and you'll see Templar Symbols

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manoppello, Italy, is an epicenter of medieval religious history, best known for housing the Holy Face of Manoppello—a revered cloth bearing the living image of Christ. The region also features the stunning medieval Abbey of Santa Maria d'Arabona which is rich in enigmatic monastic and Templar-style symbolism.

 

 

 

The Abbey of Santa Maria d'Arabona

 

Founded in 1197 by the Cistercian order, this abbey is famous for its soaring architecture and historical connections to medieval chivalric and religious orders. [1]

• • The Site: Designated a national monument, its Romanesque features include pointed arches and a magnificent east-facing rose window.
  • Templar Connections: While the abbey was originally Cistercian, the Knights Templar frequently maintained close ties with Cistercian monasteries. Historians and local lore link the site to both the Knights Templar and the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.
  • Monastic Symbols: Throughout the abbey and its surrounding stone grounds, you can find mysterious, often ambiguous medieval graffiti, heraldic designs, and burial markers belonging to monks who lived at the site. [1, 2, 3]

 

 

If you are exploring Abruzzo's Templar heritage, the symbols carved into the stone facades of these medieval churches usually include:

• • The Patriarchal Cross (or Cross of Lorraine): A double-barred cross often used by Templar knights and the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.
  • The Jerusalem Cross: A large central cross with four smaller crosses in the corners, symbolizing the five wounds of Christ and the crusades.
  • The "Beauceant": While primarily a war flag, its black-and-white color scheme (symbolizing the sins of the world and purity) was frequently incorporated into monastic and Templar stonework.
  • The Agnus Dei (Lamb of God): A very common Templar seal featuring a lamb carrying a banner, representing Christ's sacrifice and the order's vows of poverty. [1, 2]

 

 

While visiting the area, the undisputed focal point is the Basilica del Volto Santo (Shrine of the Holy Face). [1, 2]

• The sanctuary houses a sheer, transparent, and shimmering veil known as the Volto Santo.
• Believed by many to be the Vera Icona (True Image) or Veil of Veronica, the cloth displays a peaceful, living face of Jesus with open eyes.
• Scientific researchers and art historians have drawn direct, striking overlays between the facial characteristics on the Manoppello Veil and the face encoded on the Shroud of Turin. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

 

 

 

Santa Maria Arabona is a stunning late-12th-century Cistercian abbey located in Manoppello, Italy. Nestled in the Abruzzo countryside, the majestic structure is renowned for its 13th-century stone tabernacle, towering Easter candle, and impressive medieval frescoes. [1, 2, 3, 4]

 

 

History & Architecture

• • Origins: Construction of the abbey began around 1208 under French and local direction, though it was never fully completed according to its grand initial design.
  • Design: It features a Cistercian layout and highlights French Gothic influences. The building's interior is bright and essential, allowing light to illuminate its historical treasures.
  • Masterpieces: Inside, you will find a beautifully decorated stone tabernacle, an intricate six-meter-high Easter candle twisting with reliefs of shrubs and animals, and frescoes attributed to 14th-century painter Antonio da Atri. [1, 2, 3, 4]

 

 

Planning Your Visit

• Location: The abbey is located in the hamlet of Santa Maria Arabona within the municipality of Manoppello (Province of Pescara).
• Surroundings: It rests at the foothills of the Maiella National Park, offering beautiful garden spaces and scenic views of the Pescara Valley.
• Nearby Attraction: While in Manoppello, visitors often also stop at the Basilica of the Holy Face (Volto Santo), which houses a revered image believed by many to be the Holy Face of Jesus. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

 

 

 

The Abbey of Santa Maria Arabona (Abbazia di Santa Maria Arabona) is a 12th-century Cistercian monastery located in the town of Manoppello, within the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is considered the finest example of French Gothic architecture in the region.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key Features and History

 

• • Ancient Origins: Built on the site of a pagan temple dedicated to Bona Dea, the Roman goddess of fertility.
  • Architecture: Construction began in 1197. It features a Latin cross plan and high, elegant Cistercian-style vaults, though the building remains technically incomplete.
  •  
  • Artistic Masterpieces:
  • • • Easter Candelabrum: A 6-meter stone candle holder decorated with intricate carvings of animals and shrubs.
      • Tabernacle: A 13th-century stone masterpiece supported by two pillars.
      • Frescoes: Features 1373 works by Antonio da Atri, including a Madonna with Child and a Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

     

     

  • Gardens: The abbey is surrounded by well-kept gardens featuring a fountain and an ancient balcony. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

 

 

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Visitor Information

• • Location: Via Santa Maria Arabona, 1, 65024 Manoppello PE.
  • Hours: Generally open daily from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Sundays starting at 11:00 AM).
  • Entry: Visiting the church is typically free, though donations are welcome.
  • Accessibility: The entrance and restrooms are wheelchair accessible. [1, 2, 3]

 

 Pro Tip: While in Manoppello, most visitors also stop at the Sanctuary of the Holy Face (Volto Santo), which houses a famous veil believed to bear the image of Christ. [1]

Would you like to know about:

• Guided tours that combine the abbey with local wine tastings?
• Directions for getting there by train or car?
• Other medieval abbeys to visit in the Pescara Valley? [1]

 

 

Article Source

Abbazia di Santa Maria Arabona - Manoppello (PE)

Wikipedia

Manoppello - Wikipedia

Santa Maria Arabona - Wikipedia

Belize's "Black Hole"

 

In today's video, my team & I explore a cave system that was formed around the end of the Ice Age - when the ground collapsed & created massive sinkholes that gave access to underground cave systems. The Maya found these in ancient times, explored & modified them for many different uses - the least of which we are aware of or understand today.

 

 

Video

Video

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I Found Something Amazing Happening in Cambodia's Temples

 

This video explores one of the most remarkable discoveries in ancient astronomy, a secret built into the very design of Cambodia's thousand-year-old Khmer temples, hiding in plain sight for centuries.

The ancient Khmer civilization, builders of the legendary Angkor Wat complex, were far more sophisticated than history gives them credit for. Their temples weren't just places of worship, they were precision instruments, engineered to interact with the sun in ways that still astonish researchers today.

Twice a year, powerful beams of light shoot down through specially designed holes in the temple roofs, illuminating the sacred altars below with laser-like precision. This phenomenon, known as zenith passage, occurs on the exact days the sun passes directly overhead. And the evidence suggests the Khmer built their entire temple architecture around it.

At the center of this discovery is the linga yoni altar, a sacred stone complex found at the heart of every major Khmer temple. Far more than a religious symbol, it functions as an ancient astronomical instrument, a gnomon that casts no shadow on the exact day of zenith passage, while simultaneously serving as a rainwater catchment system of elegant simplicity.

The deeper you look, the more intentional it becomes. From the hollow tubes running through the temple capstones, to the 224 tiny temples at Prambanan in Java that match exactly the number of days between zenith passages, the ancient knowledge encoded in these structures is extraordinary. But what makes this discovery truly remarkable isn't just the engineering.

It's what it reveals about how the Khmer understood the cosmos, time, and the sacred relationship between earth and sky, a worldview that rivals anything the ancient Maya or Greeks achieved, yet has received almost none of the attention it deserves.

This video is the result of 16 years of fieldwork in Cambodia by archaeoastronomer Ed Barnhart, one of the leading experts on ancient Maya astronomy. His journey from the temples of Palenque to the ruins of Angkor reveals a stunning connection between civilizations separated by an ocean, but united by the same sky.

If you're fascinated by ancient civilizations, hidden knowledge, and the mysteries of human history, this is a discovery you won't want to miss.

 

 

Video

Video

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DoYOXlU5TJg?feature=share