Hermitage of Camaldoli

“Here is Macarius, here is Romualdus,
   Here are my brethren, who within the cloisters
   Their footsteps stayed and kept a steadfast heart”.

Paradiso,  canto XXII (51)

Camaldoli, home to the order of the same name, founded by St Romuald, was one of the most famous and powerful religious communities even in Dante’s time. Part of its wealth is due to the trade in timber, obtained from the forest and sent to Florence by river. In fact, the wood used to build the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore came from Camaldoli.