Sacro Speco di San Benedetto

Benedict of Nursia lived as a hermit in this cave for three years around 500 AD, developing the spiritual foundations of Western monasticism. The sanctuary complex grew from the 11th century onward, with extraordinary 13th-14th century frescoes. It contains the oldest known portrait of Saint Francis.

Around 500 AD, Benedict of Nursia abandoned his studies in Rome, repelled by the moral corruption he encountered. He retreated to a cave on Mount Taleo above the Aniene River near Subiaco. The monk Romanus, who lived in a nearby monastery, supplied Benedict with bread, lowering it on a rope to the hidden cave. For three years Benedict lived as a hermit, following the example of the Desert Fathers, developing through prayer and ascetic practice the spiritual depth that would enable him to found monastic communities. His reputation eventually drew disciples, and Benedict established thirteen monasteries in the Aniene valley before departing for Monte Cassino, where he would write the Rule that has governed Benedictine life for fifteen centuries.