Subiaco (a town of approximately 9,000 inhabitants in the Aniene valley. 70km east of Rome at 408m altitude in the Monti Simbruini, at the specific point where the Aniene river cuts through the calcareous Apennine ridge in the Gole dell'Aniene (the Aniene gorge) before descending toward the Roman plain): the Lazio mountain town whose specific historical significance extends across three completely distinct domains, the early Christian monasticism (the specific caves and grottos of the Monte Taleo ridge above Subiaco where Benedict of Norcia chose to live as a hermit from approximately 500 to 529 AD before founding the first Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino and writing the Rule that organized western Christian monasticism for 1,500 years), the history of printing (the specific 1465 printing workshop of Conrad Sweynheym and Arnold Pannartz at the Monastery of Santa Scolastica, the first printing press in Italy and the third oldest in Europe after Gutenberg's Mainz and the Cologne press), and the geological landscape (the Gole dell'Aniene, the 4km calcareous canyon carved by the Aniene river that constitutes the most spectacular gorge landscape in the Lazio Apennines).
Saint Benedict at Subiaco: the specific Benedict biography at Subiaco (the 3 years from approximately 500 to 503 AD that Benedict spent in the Sacro Speco, the "Holy Cave" on the Monte Taleo ridge above the Aniene river, the specific grotto in the calcareous rock where the young Benedict, having abandoned his law studies in Rome in disgust at the urban moral climate, chose to live as an ascetic): the Sacro Speco (the cave monastery of San Benedetto, the monastery complex built directly into and around Benedict's original cave, begun in the 11th century and completed in its current form in the 14th century, with the specific superimposed chapels that the medieval Benedictine tradition built over the successive holy sites associated with the saint's presence).
How do you want to see it?
Lazio, ItalyCompare the same experience on GetYourGuide and Viator, save what you like to My Trip, share it, and book when you’re sure. Nearest to this page first.
Subiaco: Sacro Speco, Santa Scolastica, and the Gorge
Sacro Speco di San Benedetto
Monastero di San Benedetto. Sacro Speco (the cave monastery built into the Monte Taleo cliff 2km above Subiaco, accessible by road (the 2km steep road from Subiaco to the monastery entrance) or by path (the ancient pilgrim path from the Subiaco old town, 45 minutes)): the specific monastery architecture (the sequence of superimposed chapels descending into the cave system, the Upper Church (the 14th-century frescoes by the Sienese and Roman painting tradition), the Lower Church (the 13th-century frescoes including the earliest known portrait of Saint Francis of Assisi, painted by a Subiaco monk in approximately 1210 AD, just 2 years after Francis founded the Franciscan order, making it the most historically proximate image of the saint), and the Sacro Speco itself (Benedict's original cave, now enclosed within the chapel of the Grotto of the Holy Cave)): open daily 9:00-12:30 and 15:00-18:00. Admission free.
The First Book Printed in Italy
Monastero di Santa Scolastica (the oldest Benedictine monastery in continuous operation in Subiaco, the monastery founded by Saint Benedict himself around 510 AD, whose library provided the specific scholarly infrastructure that attracted the German printers Conrad Sweynheym and Arnold Pannartz to Subiaco in 1464-1465): the specific printing history (the 1465 edition of the Cicero "De Oratore" printed by Sweynheym and Pannartz at the Santa Scolastica monastery scriptorium, the first book printed in Italy and the third earliest European printed book): the Santa Scolastica printing museum (the display of the 1465 typeface (the first roman type in history, developed by Sweynheym and Pannartz specifically for the Subiaco press and named "Subiaco type" by the typography historians), the replica press, and the original printed pages): open daily with the monastery tours. The guided tour of the cloister and printing museum approximately €3.
Q&A: Subiaco
Is Subiaco accessible from Rome without a car?
Yes, the COTRAL bus from the Ponte Mammolo Metro B station in Rome to Subiaco (the direct service runs approximately every 90 minutes, journey time 1.5 hours, approximately €4 one way): the Subiaco day trip without a car is entirely feasible and the bus route through the Aniene valley (the specific landscape of the calcareous gorge visible from the bus) is itself scenically rewarding. The specific logistics for the car-free Subiaco day: arrive at Ponte Mammolo by 8:30am for the 8:45 COTRAL departure, arrive Subiaco at 10:15, visit the Santa Scolastica monastery (30 minutes walk from the bus stop), continue by the 2km road to the Sacro Speco (the 30-minute walk or the taxi from the Subiaco bus stop), return bus at approximately 16:00 or 17:30 depending on the current schedule (verify at cotralspa.it before visiting).
