{"id":13782,"date":"2018-09-03T17:28:28","date_gmt":"2018-09-03T17:28:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/?p=13782"},"modified":"2019-05-28T11:21:30","modified_gmt":"2019-05-28T01:21:30","slug":"san-benedetto-monastery-italy-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/?p=13782","title":{"rendered":"San Benedetto Monastery, Italy 2018 \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Date:  2nd September 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Travelled:  121 kilometres from Scanno to Subiaco, both in Lazio, Italy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visited:  San Benedetto Monastery, Subiaco<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stayed:  The monastery car-park, free. No services.  N41.91734, E13.11510<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Budget:  92 days @ \u20ac95 per day.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bit of a lazy morning really.  We had a very quiet evening in the free sosta on the lake, near Scanno.  A station wagon parked at the other side of the sosta just before dark, so we had some company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had a coffee and some fruit and walked over to the lake for a look see.  I worked on the blog and Pam Facetimed Indiana and Cooper.  The morning was slipping past.  From Scanno we continue north-west through the National Park and the Gole di Sagittario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The drive north-west from Scanno is scenic and occasionally a bit hair-raising especially for Pam sitting in the left hand seat.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Pam loves a blind left hand turn into a single lane tunnel.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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All the same, it\u2019s a scenic drive along the gorge.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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At the turn for Sulmona, I pull over and let some 15 or so of these old sports cars pass the Hymer.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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From Sulmona we turn onto the A25-A24 until we take the turn for Subiaco. During our travels in Europe over the years we normally avoid the motorways like the plague. But I would rather pay a few euros and save the Hymer being battered on the rubbish A roads here in Italy.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Finally we make Subiaco. It seems like a lovely town, but we are hoping to make the monastery today and a late lunch and a little kip seem appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We drive through another portico and into a huge car-park. We have a light but late lunch and have an hours quiet time. An hour later we work out we are at the wrong monastery. San Benedetto is another 3 klms up the hill.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The monastery is completely out of sight until you pass through a small arched portal. It can then be seen clinging to the cliff face.  It dates from the 9th century.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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We learn that St. Benedict spent 3 years here, living as a hermit in a grotto. His only interaction with local shepards, who lowered food down on a rope.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Inside there are several chapels like this one. Each excavated into the rock. The chapels are accessed via stairs from one down to the next.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The ceiling of one of the chapels…<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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