• Religious Tourism
    • Food & Wine

Holy honey

A centuries-old tradition still alive in the abbeys

Where can you buy honey made by monks in Lombardy? Find out with our religious tourism adventures – we'll take you to the sacred places where beekeeping is flourishing.

Not many people know that Saint Ambrose, the patron saint of Milan, is also the patron saint of beekeepers. So what better way to put the Benedictine mantra of "Ora et Labora" into practice than by keeping bees?

The Benedictine monks at the Nostra Signora dell'Annunciazione monastery in Laveno, in the province of Varese, and the Abbazia di Morimondo near Milan make and sell fantastic honey.

So where else can you by honey and other bee-related products – like propolis, royal jelly, sweets and other treats – from monks? Simply head to the Abbazia di Chiaravalle or the Certosa di Pavia and you'll be met with an array of top-quality artisanal products.

The apiary of the Abbazia di San Benedetto in Seregno no longer produces honey after the death of father Francesco Colzani, but in his memory the workshop still jars and labels the best local honey.

Tourism in Lombardy opens all sorts of new doors: discover the many talents of our local monks, who are proving that the Benedictine mantra is more alive than ever! 

On the same topic

Hospitality, monastery-style

Convents and monasteries places historically open to hospitality
  • Religious Tourism
Stay the night in a Lombardy monastery

Dom Perignon and Franciacorta

The strange story of the most famous wine in the world
  • Religious Tourism
The strange story of the most famous wine in the world

La Via Matildica del Volto Santo

A great route of faith and culture
  • Religious Tourism
La Via Matildica del Volto Santo

Churches Bergamo

Bergamo: a city with more beauties than you think. They are silent behind centuries-old facades of churches
  • Religious Tourism
Churches Bergamo, religious tourism

Monks and beer cross paths in Monza and Buccinasco

Craft breweries in the monasteries of Lombardy
  • Religious Tourism
Craft beer brewing in the monasteries of Lombardy

Coira and the Historic Spluga Trail

Un percorso tutto da scoprire
  • Religious Tourism
Discover Coira and the historic Spluga Trail

From Milan to the Charterhouse of Pavia

The 25th day of the Saint Augustine's Way.
  • Religious Tourism
from Milan to Certosa di Pavia

The herbalist traditions of Lombardy’s monasteries

In the monasteries and abbeys of Lombardy, knowledge and flavors translate into high quality herbal products
  • Religious Tourism
Herbal products: where to buy them from Lombard monks

A stay in Lombardy's tranquil monasteries

Relax, study and pray in the convents, abbeys, and monasteries of Lombardy: four enchanting destinations
  • Religious Tourism
A stay in Lombardy's tranquil monasteries

From Ca' de Mazzi to Corte Sant'Andrea

Stage 5 of the Monk’s trail
  • Religious Tourism
From Ca' de Mazzi to Corte Sant'Andrea

The monk’s pantry: where to indulge your tastebuds

Guide for gourmands in the monasteries of Lombardy
  • Religious Tourism
A gluttonous guide to the monasteries of Lombardy

Corte Sant'Andrea and the Via Francigena

Follow the Via Francigena through Lodi to discover a world of history and tradition
  • Religious Tourism
Corte Sant'Andrea and the Via Francigena

Visit the mill at the Abbazia di Chiaravalle

Gita fuoriporta alla scoperta dell’Abbazia di Chiaravalle
  • Religious Tourism
Head out of the city and discover the Abbazia di Chiaravalle

Churches Brescia

The religious one is a richness for Brescia which is one of the Italian cities with the highest number of churches on its territory
  • Religious Tourism
Churches Brescia, what to see in Lombardy

The Way of the Monks

From Milan to Via Francigena, through the Po. The Way passes through three protected parks, a WWF oasis, monasteries and abbeys
  • Religious Tourism
The Way of the Monks

Orio Litta and the Via Francigena

An evocative route that combines nature, faith and art, to explore on foot or by bicycle.
  • Religious Tourism
Orio Litta and the Via Francigena

Il Cammin Breve

A "brief" guide to 7 churches in the heart of Milan
  • Religious Tourism
Il Cammin Breve

Km-0 in Lombardy: agriculture in monasteries

In the monasteries there is still the atmosphere of the past. If you want to buy genuine products, at Km 0, you can contact the monks
  • Religious Tourism
Km-0 agriculture in the monasteries of Lombardy

Holy honey

A centuries-old tradition still alive in the abbeys
  • Religious Tourism
Where to buy honey made by monks in Lombardy

Churches Lecco

Churches, basilicas and shrines in Lecco and surroundings: a religious heritage between the Romanesque and the Marian cult
  • Religious Tourism
Churches Lecco, ideas for visiting