The Abbey of St Mary of the Snows (Badia di Santa Maria della Neve) is a Benedictine Monastery and church, located in a rural spot on Via Badia #28 in the frazione of Torrechiara and its castle, in the town limits of Langhirano, Province of Parma, Italy. The monastery is affiliated with the monastery of San Giovanni Evangelista, Parma.
The construction of the initial abbey was commissioned circa 1471 by Count Pier Maria II De’ Rossi at the site of a medieval oratory or small church to house a Benedictine congregation derived from the Abbey of Santa Giustina. The Romanesque-style church with a single nave and attached bell-tower was dedicated to Sancta Maria ad Nives, a common Marian devotion. The facade faces east. The sacristy and church still retain frescoes.
The abbey was shuttered during the Napoleonic occupation, and requisitioned as a barracks. In 1899, it was returned to the Benedictines. The abbey staffed by nuns and oblates offers housing for retreats and a guesthouse for single visitors. Reservations can be made for lunch at the refectory. The abbey has a store that sells honey and products of the orchard.[1] [2] [3]