Abbazia Greca di San Nilo
Abbazia Greca di San Nilo
4.5

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles470 reviews
Excellent
351
Very good
108
Average
9
Poor
0
Terrible
2

Zalton101
Canberra, Australia77 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2012 • Couples
Settled high in the hills of Rome, next to Grottaferratta's town centre and surrounded by urban life the Abbazzia Greca di San Nilo sits behind formidable in-tact medieval battlements.

At the location one will find, the church, a monastery and well ordered and detailed medieval battlements. You'll also find a prominent view of the surroundings.

The Abazzia itself pre-dates the battlements, being built in the 11th century while the battlements were order later by the papacy nearer the middle ages. The Abazzia is a mostly Byzantine creation and supports an order of Greek Christian tradition. In the 20th century the abbey was restored closer to it's original form being stripped of the embellishments of the renaissance and later eras - although traces remain in its interior.

The Abbey is clearly off the tourist map and is principally focussed on it's historic role as a church and monastery. With the exception of the church the site is maintained rather than restored. The Abbey, however, welcomes public access.

Getting to the Abbey can be challenging unless you are well familiar with Rome and it's surroundings. There is no train service that we are aware of, the buses need some research, a taxi fare is expensive and it takes confidence and nerve to drive in Rome. We chose the latter after spending a month driving the cities of Italy.

If you decide to visit the Abbey you'll find it's proximity to the old town centre useful. There are a number of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants within 200 meters of the battlements. Street parking is available although it is in high demand.

To make the most of the day we'd suggest combining a visit to the Abbey with a prior trip to Casa Di Papa (two hills away) and take an evening meal or afternoon drink at Grottaferratta.
Written May 17, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

tmacquiban
Rome, Italy153 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019 • Couples
We loved this ancient church founded over 1,000 years ago, with beautiful Reniassance additions from the Borghese and Barbarioni patron. The mosaics, early font and doorway, and then the side chapel with the Domenichino frescoes not to mention the grotto dating back to the earliest centuries of the Christain era, all these made for a wonderfully peacful and enjoyable church art/architecture experience.
Written July 21, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jononna
El Dorado, CA69 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2017 • Friends
The first time I saw this sacred site I did not know it's history from 600BC during the time of Byzantium, through the rise and fall of the Roman empire (the Roman's built the Solarium that looks out over Rome which serves as part of the protective wall around the entire site. The walls themselves are picturesque 14th centuryand photo worthy. If you are lucky enough to be there when the museo is open (best luck on Saturdays and Sundays), you will find Greek Marble works dating back to a Greco-Roman Villa with a temple to the Mother of God. The upstairs contains a library of ancient scripts collected by the Monks and transcribed into Latin during the 800's AD. Grottaferrata's has the oldest manuscript in Europe. The history of the St. Nilo and the church are available on other sites and cover so much more than Is appropriate here. The church (still a functioning Greek Byzantine Church ) is sacred, holy, ancient and accentuated with art from over the centuries. Walk to the edge of the site and look down over the expanse of Rome to the sea, as they did back in ancient times. If you enjoy seeing worship in different countries, visit on Sundays. My favorite Pizza shop is across the street. To visit the piazza, walk up the Corso di Popolo and have a prosecco or espresso by sitting in one of the outdoor seating areas.
Written January 5, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

traveltheworldcs
California478 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2013 • Solo
I was the only visitor while I was there but the church is wonderful with a Greek influence. The grounds are beautiful and I am glad I visited.
Written July 17, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SimplyFred
Shrewsbury, UK1,004 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2012 • Family
The abbey is quite beautiful & so ornate in the byzantine tradition. There is part of a roman aqueduct which you can just spy through the gates (but this may be only when the gates are open) The church itself is wonderful. There is often a large market at the bottom of the road that the Abbey is on.
Written December 9, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

asko_velociraptora
Dietlikon, Switzerland235 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2018 • Family
The entire castle is an amazing piece of architecture but the church inside is the joule in the crown. Built as an Orthodox church 50 years before the Great Schism, today it is a Catholic church that combines the architectural style of Orthodox and Catholic churches. This gives it a very particular look that stands out as compared to any other church I've ever visited. Definitely a must see! :-)
Written May 18, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Terry D
Castle Cove, Australia2,067 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Couples
This is the first 1 Rating I have given in my 250 reviews on Trip Advisor but this site deserved it.
There were no signs in the town of Grottaferrafa to indicate the location of the Abby. We eventually got there by looking at the Abbey tower in the distance & heading in that direction. When we got to the Abby there was just a small sign on the outside wall. The main gate was closed but some Italians who were also tying to visit, spoke into the security phone & it was opened. Once we got inside we discovered the Abby was closed, no sign indicating why, & the best we could do was to just walk around the grounds.
Very Disappointing.
Written April 26, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Adam L
Rome, Italy294 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2017 • Couples
This is a 1/2 day trip just in itself. There is more to do here than meets the eye. There is a museum that has some real treasures and the church alone will take some time to see. The museum a collection of Roman antiquities that have been found in or around the Abbey and that have been collected over the centuries. Amazing pieces that deserve time. On Saturday and Sunday there is a guided tour (in Italian) which is free either at 4 or 430, ask the Nun at the door just before the museum. Do not be confused. This is only for the museum and not for the whole Abbey. Worth it for the information. The church you will have to see for yourself.
Written August 14, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MGC2203
Tivoli, Italy109 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2016 • Family
a stunning beauty in a lovely hamlet, this amazing church is a tiny jewel of Greek art with mosaics and painting, it is really worth visiting, they also have a big Presepe during Xmas.
Written June 1, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kubanoba
Rome, Italy77 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2016 • Family
The place is very old but very well maintained. Great walls of stone, great buildings and an ancient church to see. Also because is in the mountain, there is a great view of the valley.
If you have some luck you can see a wedding!
Highly recommendend visit in Grottaferratta.
Written August 10, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Abbazia Greca di San Nilo, Grottaferrata

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