Sacro Speco di San Benedetto
Benedictine monastery carved into the rock of Monte Taleo, with the Grotto of Saint Benedict, two superimposed churches and cycles of medieval frescoes.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Sacro Speco di Subiaco is the sanctuary that grew up around the grotto where, in the 6th century, Benedict of Norcia lived as a hermit for about three years. The site immediately became a place of veneration, and the oldest artistic evidence dates from the 8th century.
In the second half of the 11th century work began on the building as it stands today, which merges architecture and rock face: two superimposed churches and numerous chapels follow the slope of the hillside. The lower church houses the saint’s grotto.
Between the 13th and 14th centuries the main fresco cycles were painted, devoted to the Passion of Christ, the life of the Virgin and the life of Saint Benedict, by workshops of the Roman and Sienese schools. In 1223 Francis of Assisi came to Subiaco in the retinue of Cardinal Ugolino, the future Pope Gregory IX; the oldest surviving portrait of the saint is preserved here. In the former refectory there is also a 14th-century Last Supper, recently restored.
Highlights
- Grotto of Saint Benedict in the lower church
- Fresco cycles of the 13th and 14th centuries
- Oldest surviving portrait of Saint Francis of Assisi
- 14th-century Last Supper in the former refectory
- Two superimposed churches along the rock face
- Operated by
- Monastero benedettino del Sacro Speco
- Visitors per year
- approx. 84,934
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The site provides no information on accessibility; the complex extends along the rock face.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
Near the shop (dedicated online shop) there is a refreshment point and toilets.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Photography | Photography is permitted inside the sanctuary, without flash. |
| Good to know | Access is limited and takes place only accompanied by a guide. Individual visitors and small groups of 5–7 people can turn up without booking; guided tours require at least 10 participants, and organised groups of more than 10 people are asked to notify in advance by e-mail. Clothing appropriate to a sacred place: shoulders covered, trousers or skirts to the knee. Dogs are admitted only if small, carried or in a carrier. |
