Sacro Speco, monastère Saint-Benoît de Subiaco

Subiaco

The word speco means the cave, and the whole building exists only for it: Benedict of Nursia is said to have withdrawn here before leaving, around 529, to found Monte Cassino. The monastery built from 1090 onwards clung to the cliff and closed itself around the cavity, producing a labyrinth of superimposed chapels, some of them cut directly into the rock. Here one sees a portrait of Saint Francis painted in his lifetime, probably during his stay of 1223–1224 — the oldest and most faithful likeness of him known, and he does not yet bear the stigmata. The very name Subiaco comes from the Latin Sublaqueum, "below the lake".

Getting there : Open daily, morning and afternoon, no booking required; partial closure on Sunday mornings

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound