The House of spazio + spadoni | San Cerbone
The history, values and spirituality of the headquarters of spazio + spadoni, the convent of San Cerbone in Lucca
The Convent of San Cerbone is not only an important historical building, but a true mystical place, charged with a spirituality that has spanned the centuries.
Its location, isolated in the woods and situated about one hundred meters above sea level, naturally makes it a place of contemplation and recollection, characteristics that have always made it a point of reference for the religious and faithful who have inhabited or visited it.
This atmosphere of peace and introspection, immersed in the beauty of nature, creates an ideal context for initiatives such as those of spazio + spadoni, which since 2020 has chosen San Cerbone itself as its headquarters.
Since its founding, this place has been a spiritual center: built on the ruins of an ancient pagan temple, the convent witnessed the transition from paganism to Christianity, a symbol of the ability to regenerate and adapt to the changes of history.
The Benedictine nuns who inhabited it in the 9th century and the Franciscans who settled there in the 15th century made it a home of prayer, dedication and service to others, values that perfectly reflect the mission that spazio + spadoni carries out today.
The spiritual history of the convent is intrinsically linked to the cult of St. Cerbone, bishop of Populonia, whose relics were transported to Lucca in 786.
The fact that the church and the convent were named after St. Cerbo gives a deep meaning to this place, which becomes not only a physical space but a place of veneration, a point of connection between heaven and earth. The mystical aura surrounding San Cerbone is palpable within the walls of the convent, a reflection of the spirituality that still permeates the building.
It is this context that makes the convent of San Cerbone the ideal location for spazio + spadoni, an organization committed to rediscovering and promoting the works of mercy.
The link between the past and the present is tangible: just as the convent was once a center of welcome and charity, today spazio + spadoni has breathed new life into this place, making it a center for reflection, research and action on works of mercy.
The isolation of the convent from urban centers does not make it far from the world, but rather, brings it closer to the spiritual and human needs of contemporary society.
In this mystical place, spazio + spadoni has found the perfect environment for its initiatives to grow. The quietness and sacredness of the convent of San Cerbone allow the development of projects that are not simply operational, but also deeply rooted in a tradition of charity and service.
The contrast between the antiquity of its stones and the modernity of the activities that take place there is a testament to how works of mercy can renew themselves and adapt to today’s challenges, keeping the core values of compassion and solidarity intact.
The convent thus becomes not only a symbol of Lucca’s Christian history, but a beacon of hope and action for the future, an example of how a mystical place can nurture new forms of mission and service.
With its mission, spazio + spadoni has found in San Cerbone a place where spirituality is intertwined with modernity, creating a unique combination that looks to the past with respect and to the future with innovation.