History

 

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The II book of the "Dialogues" by St. Gregory the Great reports that St. Benedict founded twelve cenobies along the valley of the Aniene, inhabited by twelve monks besides the superior. St. Benedict dwelt with some disciples on the right bank of the Aniene, in a building of the emperor Nero's villa.

This was his first monastery, called St. Clemente. At the end of St. Benedict's time at Subiaco, from the cenobies, had risen twelve other smaller monasteries. In the ninth century the Subico monasteries were several times invaded and destroyed by the Saracens. Pope Gregory IV rebuilt it. Leo V completed it and Benedict VII dedicated them to St. Benedict and St. Scholastica.

In the times of Abbot Leo III (X century) a new and bigger Romanic church was built and St. Scholastica's abbey acquired great possessions and feudal dominion over neighbouring territories. St. Scholastica's bell-tower, which is still to be seen, was the work of Abbot Humbert (1050-1069). Then John V (1069-1121), the greatest abbot of Subiaco, undertook great enterprises for it. Still more important works were undertaken by Abbot Romanus (1192-1216) . During his regime Blessed Palombo (1090) went to live at Sacro Speco; after him from two to four hermit monks always lived there, receiving their food from the abbey lower down.

In Abbot Romanus' time monastic life began regular at Sacro Speco with a number of monks (generally twelve) and a prior dependent on the abbot of St. Scholostica's. In 1456 Sacro Speco and St. Scholoastica's were placed under the jurisdiction of commendatory abbots and in 1514 they were united to the Cassinese Congregation. In 1853 the two monasteries were now united under the same abbot, as they are still.

Pope Benedict XV abolished the Commenda (from 1456 a clergyman nominated by the pope had supervised the two monasteries) and trusted the government of the abbacy to the abbot of the monastery. Since 1872 they belong to the Subiaco Congregation founded by abbot Pietro Casareto. In 1944 Subiaco was touched by the war, fortunately without victims.