An abbey in Italy is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and often are self-sufficient while using any abundance of produce or skill to provide care to the poor and needy, refuge to the persecuted, or education to the young. Some abbeys offer accommodation to people who are seeking spiritual retreat. Italy has many historic monasteries and abbeys, mostly dating from medieval times, and there are many famous abbeys across the Mediterranean Basin and Europe. Some of them were built in stunning isolated settings. Abbeys and monasteries in Italy are often open to visitors and some of them have become museums or tourist attractions. For example, Montecassino Abbey is located about 90 miles southeast of Rome, on the way to Naples, and is open every day. The Abbey of SantAntimo near Montalcino is a mystic place surrounded by a whispering silence, and the monks meet seven times a day to chant in Italian and to “raise to God hymns and spiritual songs” .