Between May and June it is not unusual to see the banks of the canal near the Abbey dotted with the rustic inflorescences of Silybum marianum, the milk thistle. It sprouts among the tall grass and lake reeds. It owes its name to the Christian tradition according to which the white streaks on its leaves are a reminder of the drops of milk lost on this plant by Mary while breastfeeding the baby Jesus while fleeing with Joseph to Egypt. So much so that it was used in some purifying preparations for lactating mothers.
Milk thistle extracts have been the basis of many preparations in popular medicine since the first century AD. Dioscorides, Pliny and Galen explaining its benefits for liver health. Thistle was used as a remedy for bronchitis and, in ancient Greece, was mixed with honey to soothe coughs.
In the 15th century AD, more of its medicinal properties were discovered and its seeds were extracted as effective remedies for indigestion, liver problems and liver poisoning, jaundice and spleen disease, and gallstones.
It is easy to imagine that the monastery pharmacy also used its seeds for decoctions and infusions.

– Cover shot by Marcello Serenetti –