After our week in Ireland, we spent a week in Italy visiting our dear friends, Michael and Silvia and their two children Giacomo and Viola. It was a truly blessed time. We started out by taking a road trip through the Appeninne Mountains on the way of St. Benedict. We stopped in Subiaco to see where St Benedict began his life as a hermit and his many monasteries. We continued from there to the small Italian village of Foligano nestled deep in the Appeninne Mountains. That was an adventurous drive through the mountains in freezing rain at night with many detours. Then the next morning we explored the mountain views on the drive to Norcia, the birthplace of Sts. Benedict and Scholastica.
The rest of our week was spent exploring and re-exploring Rome - A Papal Audience, A Cupola Climb, The Colosseum - Palatine - Forum...
On the Via - On the way of Benedict
The gates of Monasterio di Santa Scholastica.
They mean business
The gates to Monasterio di Santo Benedicto. Very similar to St. Francis' hermitage.
A view from the base of the St. Benedict's Monastery. Inside the cavernous winding halls and chapels is the Sacro Speco - Sacred Cave of Benedict - A very special place.
A road block on our route to the small mountain village of Foligano. The GPS rerouted us to a mountain pass that was a dirt road. EEK. So we were traveling by map...
... and found a Rocca (Castle) and some amazing stars
The view from the mountain town of Cascia - the birthplace of St. Rita...
St. Rita - depicted in the ceilings of her Basilica
St. Rita's Basilica
On our drive through Sibillini National Park to Norcia
Norcia is known for it's wild boar meats... proscuitto with the fur still on anyone? anyone?
...and black truffle
... and St. Benedict. Taken in the Norcia central piazza
The holy twins, Benedict and Scholastica. Taken in the Basilica built on the sight of their birthplace.
Beer of the Benedictine Monks of Norcia - Very, very good.
Drinking water, mood lighting, and some mountains.
The Piazza di Benedicto in Norica at dusk.
Up Next: The Papal Audience, The Roman Forum, & St. Peter's Cupola
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