Pope Leo XIV continues to take advantage of his summer rest in Castel Gandolfo to visit some of the most emblematic places of Italian spirituality. After his trips to the abbey of Montecassino and the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity of Vallepietra, the Pope traveled this Wednesday to Subiaco, where he toured the two great Benedictine monasteries of the town and shared lunch with the monastic community.
The visit, announced by the Holy See, marks the third outing of the Pontiff since his rest period began and once again highlights some of the main centers linked to Saint Benedict, patron of Europe.
Prayer at the Sacro Speco and veneration of Saint Benedict
During his stay in Subiaco, Pope Leo XIV first visited the monastery of Saint Benedict, built around the so-called Sacro Speco —the “Holy Grotto”—, where, according to tradition, Saint Benedict of Nursia lived as a hermit for several years in the sixth century before founding the communities that would give rise to Benedictine monasticism.
In the monastery, the Pope prayed before the famous thirteenth-century fresco considered the oldest surviving depiction of Saint Francis of Assisi. He also performed one of the traditional gestures of pilgrims visiting the site by kissing the knee of the statue of Saint Benedict.
Later, the Holy Father traveled to the nearby monastery of Saint Scholastica, the main Benedictine abbey of Subiaco, where he shared lunch with the monastic community.
Three outings during the summer rest
The visit to Subiaco adds to the other two outings made by Pope Leo XIV since his summer stay in Castel Gandolfo began.
On the same Wednesday morning, the Pontiff had visited the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity of Vallepietra, located between the Italian regions of Lazio and Abruzzo, where he remained in prayer before the ancient fresco venerated by pilgrims.
Two days earlier, on Monday, the Pope traveled to the historic Benedictine abbey of Montecassino, the cradle of the Order of Saint Benedict and one of the most important monasteries in the Western Christian tradition.
Pope Leo XIV will remain in Castel Gandolfo until July 27, from where he continues to alternate rest with these spiritual visits to some of the main shrines and monasteries of Italy.