Monastery of the Sacro Speco

The Sacro Speco (“Holy Cave”) monastery lies in the Simbruini Mountains near Subiaco, in the Aniene valley, about an hour’s drive from Rome. Here Benedict of Nursia lived as a hermit for around three years, supported by a monk and local shepherds. Over the centuries the monastery was built into the mountain on several levels; almost every room has at least one wall of bare rock, and the rock juts out above the high altar of the upper church.

The lower church has frescoes from the life of Benedict with Roman and Byzantine influences of the 13th century, such as the miracle of the poisoned bread. In the Chapel of St Gregory is what is probably the oldest portrait of St Francis of Assisi, painted between 1220 and 1224, in his lifetime, and so without a halo or stigmata. Steps connect the churches, chapels and the cave. Benedictine monks still live there. Allow about one to two hours.

The monastery clings to the slope of Monte Taleo. Photography is not allowed inside (as of October 2026); appropriate dress and quiet in the chapels are expected. From the viewpoint you look over the Aniene valley to the monastery of Santa Scolastica, the only one of Benedict's twelve monasteries to survive. Wikivoyage mentions a midday closure, so check the times in advance.