• 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

Churches Pavia

The wonders of faith and the marvels of architecture in splendid religious buildings
  • Religious Tourism
Church Pavia, what to see

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

The churches and jubilee paths of Lombardy

  • Religious Tourism
The churches and jubilee paths of Lombardy

From Maiano Sant'Angelo Lodigiano to Ca' de Mazzi

An alternative route for the Fourth Stage of the Monk’s Trail
  • Religious Tourism
From Maiano Sant'Angelo Lodigiano to Ca' de Mazzi

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 Monza

A journey discovering the history of the territory through architecture and spirituality.
  • Religious Tourism
Churches Monza, exploring Lombardy

The via Francigena

A road travelled for centuries by pilgrims, who headed South and made enormous sacrifices to reach the goal of the longed-for eternal city.
  • Religious Tourism
The via Francigena

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

Medieval cookery at the Abbazia di Morimondo

Gastronomic experiences at the Abbey of Morimondo
  • Religious Tourism
Gastronomic experiences at the Abbazia di Morimondo

La Via Palmaria Burdigalense

From France to the Holy Land…Passing through Italy!
  • Religious Tourism
La Via Palmaria Burdigalense

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

The Saint Columbanus way

The Saint Columbanus way is the route that,crossing the entire area of Eastern Lombardy, once led to Bobbio
  • Religious Tourism
The Saint Columbanus way

Via Francisca del Lucomagno

A historical route that extends from Constance to Pavia and then joins the Via Francigena to Rome
  • Religious Tourism
Ponte Coperto di Pavia

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

The Easter rituals that bring Lombardy to life

Religious rites, centuries-old traditions, and folklore: this is how Lombardy is preparing for Easter
  • Religious Tourism
I riti di Pasqua che emozionano la Lombardia

Monks' Way

Fifth stage of the Via Francigena Renana
  • Religious Tourism
Monks' Way

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

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 Via Spluga

The wonderful wilderness of the Spluga “sublime pass” and its route are in enclosed within a rugged and historically rich valley
  • Religious Tourism
The Via Spluga