Getting there by public transport
Rodengo Saiano can be reached from Brescia using the SIA bus line LS029.
For more information, please visit: https://www.arriva.it/search
For information on the accessibility of the service, please contact:
tel. 030 2889911 e-mail: sia@arriva.it

Parking area
The Abbey of San Nicolais located in the heart of Franciacorta, just outside the town of Rodengo Saiano. It is possible to park in the large square in front of the abbey where there are also 4 parking spaces reserved for disabled pass holders.

Entrance to the Abbey
The Abbey of San Nicola was built by the Cluniac monks around the year 1000 in a crossing point that served as a stop for pilgrims who were going to Rome.
The religious complex includes the church of San Nicola and three cloisters (a fifteenth century cloister,  the Cloister of the Cisterna and a  sixteenth century Cloister).
To reach the religious complex, you pass a wide passageway (330 cm wide) and walk along a road for about 50 meters whose surface in the central part is in cobblestones with two paved paths (50 cm wide), while on both sides the surface is in clay.

Church entrance
The church can be accessed by passing 1 step (15 cm high) and a double leaf door (93 cm wide each).

Cloisters entrance
The fifteenth century Cloister is located on the right hand side in the middle of the avenue leading to the church. The entrance has a double leaf door (71 cm wide each) and 2 steps (12 cm high each) that can be overcome with a ramp (length: 276 cm, slope of 5%).
The entrance to the Cloister of the Cisterna is located along the right side of the church. The entrance has in succession: two consecutive two leaf doors  (the first one is 58 cm wide each, the second one is 49 cm wide each) and 3 steps (18 cm high each).
The sixteenth century Cloister can be reached both from the fifteenth century Cloister and from the Cloister of the Cisterna through routes accessible to people with motor disabilities.

Information for visitors
The monks are always available to welcome pilgrims to the abbey; groups are kindly requested to communicate their visit by sending an email to: dombenedictus@gmail.com

Reception
The porter's lodge, where the monks offer information and hospitality services (counter height: 100 cm), is located in the fifteenth century Cloister, after the inclined ramp. The porter's lodge is accessed via a double leaf door (60 cm wide each).

The Church
The church, decorated with valuable frescoes, has benches (seat height: 49 cm). The central nave can be visited without obstacles.
The altar is reached by passing 2 steps (16 cm high each), two more steps (16 cm high each) lead to the choir.
At the centre of the apse is the seventeenth-century altarpiece with the Madonna and Saints Nicholas and Benedict and on either side the two medallions with the miracles of St. Nicholas.
On the left aisle there are 6 chapels reachable passing 2 steps (16 cm high each).
From the right aisle you reach the Cloister of the Cisterna through a double leaf door (49 cm wide each) and 3 steps (16 cm high each) that can be overcome with a ramp (length: 430 cm, slope of 5%).
From the sixteenth century cloister you reach the sacristy through a path that has in succession: 1 step (16 cm high), a double leaf door (50 cm wide each), 4 steps (16 cm high each) and a hinged door (106 cm wide). In the sacristy you can admire some nice frescoes attributed to Romanino and a cycle of seventeenth-century frescoes placed in the eleven lunettes on the walls with episodes from the life of Saint Benedict.
For more information, please visit: http://www.abbaziasannicola.it/chiesa.html

The Cloisters
The Cloister of the Cisterna
The ancient cloister of the Olivetan abbey, where the well is located, houses the most important areas of the community life of the monks, such as the Chapter house and the refectory.
The Chapter house can be accessed via a hinged door (88 cm wide); the richly frescoed interior has benches (seat height: 49 cm). The large refectory, also frescoed, can be reached by passing through a double leaf door (90 cm wide each).

The Fifteenth century Cloister
It is the oldest part of the monastery. Built starting from 1478, it preserves traces of frescoes on the walls and the Olivetano coat of arms visible on the capitals of the corner columns.

The Sixteenth century Cloister
Also called Chiostro Grande (Big cloister), it presents a rich decoration with majolica on the cornice. The rooms used as kitchen and guesthouse of the Abbey, the "Sala di Sansone" (not open to visitors) and the "Sala del Romanino" (that can be reached by passing through a double leaf door  - 68 cm wide each) all overlook the sixteenth century Cloister.
From the cloister through a double leaf door (70 cm wide each) there are three other rooms, which host temporary exhibitions; the rooms are connected to each other through passageways (86 cm wide) and a step (8 cm high).

For more information on the cloisters, please visit: http://www.abbaziasannicola.it/i-3-chioschi.html

Shop and Museum
The shop and the museum are located in the cloister of the Cisterna. After a step (15 cm high) and a hinged door (90 cm wide) you access the shop (counter height: 101 cm) where you can buy monks' artefacts, books and religious articles.
From the shop through a passageway (93 cm wide) you enter the small museum, consisting of two rooms, where it is possible to admire ancient priestly vestments, books, religious articles and objects of sacred art.