6 – The façade seems incomplete. I look about to find some evidence of its primitive splendour, and my eye is caught by an unusual capital which depicts a monster with one head and two bodies, on the top of a column to the left of the entrance. But on the other side of the main door, something attracts my attention … a sound, or rather, singing, coming from within. It’s a choir of men’s voices chanting an unknown melody never heard before. Brother Giovanni perceives my amazement and says, “This is a church, the house of God. My brothers are now praying within. They pray with the Gregorian chant, which distinguishes them. Come, and let us too go in, to greet the Lord!”
7 - I look through the doorway, and am stunned by the dazzling wave of lights and sounds that envelop me - while an intangible veil of incense penetrates me overall as in every corner of the church. Beams of light flow down from the windows, to caress the light-coloured stones, the arches, the capitals, the altar, and the church decorations… Then my attention is suddenly arrested - down there - by the luminous and resplendent presbytery lit up by the light of the sun, where some brothers are standing, as they sing on either side of the cross. It’s a moment of deep and intense emotion.
Brother Giovanni who is next to me, understands, “It is certainly not so easy to remain indifferent in the midst of so many beautiful things all concentrated in a single place!” And then goes on to whisper, “It is the liturgy of the Eucharist that is being celebrated, and my brothers are now singing the antiphon at the communion. We must not disturb them.”
8 – He signs to me to go out. As soon as we are outside, I pester him with questions, “But who are these monks? What are they doing here? When did they come here?”
Well accustomed with always replying to the same questions, he smiles in resignation, “We are neither monks or friars, but a community of Regular Canons. We draw our inspiration from the Premontratensien Order founded by Saint Norbert in the 12th century, and from the Rule of Saint Augustine. To speak briefly, we are priests here who serve the local church, and the diocese…but I don’t want to say everything altogether! While we are waiting for the Mass to finish, come with me, and I will show you the more ancient part of this abbey.”