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SUBIACO
I’s 63 km. From Rome and can be reached by the A24 motorway and by a higway. Subiaco is in the heart of the Regional Natural Park “Monti Simbruini” and i’the most important town in the upper valley of the Aniene river. It’s latin name, “Sublacum” ( sub lacum = under the lake), comes from the artificial lakes which Emperor Nero obtained building a dam on the river. Here, the Emperon, had luxurios villa which is now in ruins.When; at the end of the 5th century AD, st. Benedict of Norcia arrived there, the popoulation was already cristian and monastic life was known there.The young Benedict shut himself away in a cave in mount Taleň and ,after three , years spent in prayer, his solitude began to be less severe and founded his first monastery:St.Clement.It was here that he began and, little by little, perfected that type of monastic life which is described in his “Regula”,the first redaction of which goes back to these years spent in the monastery at Subiaco, near Nero’s lakes.After more than twenty years,the hateful envy of some friars, obliged him with a few disciples to set out for Cassino where he later died on 21st March, in the year 547 (probably) Subiaco is famous worldwide for its two Benedictine Monasteries: St. SCHOLASTICA ( here was printed the first book in Italy in the year 1465) and St. BENEDICT ( so unusually beautiful and so close to the rocks that Pope Pius II described it as a “ swallows nest ”). Also the historic centre of the town deserves a visit being rich of medieval spots, quiet little piazzas and courts left untouched through centuries. Outstanding churches are too St. Francis’ ( 1327, inside there are some paintings by Pinturicchio, Sodoma, Sebastiano del Piombo and a very fine triptych by Antoniazzo Romano); St. ANDREW’S ( Pope Pius VI had it built in 1789); St. PETER’S ( noticeable the romanic steeple of the 11th century), St. MARY’S OF THE VALLEY (1851) and finally St. FRANCIS’ BRIDGE ( built by abbot Ademaro in 1358). The BORGIA’S CASTLE (1073), HERE BORN Caesar and Lucretia Borgia, is certainly worth a visit. The castle has frescoes by F.Zuccari (1578) and by L. Coccetti (1778).Beside its important monuments Subiaco has magnificent natural setting. We want to mention two natural jewels: ANIENE river, with its limpid waters rich of fish and mount LIVATA (m. 1340-1855),”Mountain of the Capital”, an important resort well attended by tourists during the winter and in the summer. |