The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-12-04

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ev. covered with forests of chestnuts. In a,
common with all these towns, it has . tine y
I'D castle on the summit Of the hill in the h
centre of the town, and inaccessible except r.
On foot or on mules, through dark marrow q
streets lined with houses whose antiquity
carries one back to the Middle Ages. This a
castle was for many years the summer resi-
dence OF. the Popes. All these attractions q
with,the grand old monasteries OF 81. Ben
edict aud Santa SchOlastica, when nave
given IL such celebrity In the ecclesiastical
make Soubiaco one Of the most interesting
and remarkable places in Italy: II
After dining upon the speckled trout OF
the mountain streams, we mount 0o1keys
to climb to the monasteries OF SANTA 0cno-
lastica and the Sacra Speco.
About mile from the town, great
chasm dividing It from Santa Scholastica,
are the ruins Of the Villa Of Nero, OF which
Tacitus relates that it was struck by hght-
ming while the tyrant was at sup aa
uments found In these ruins decorate the
cioisters of the mOnasteries, some nne
columns and bas-reliefs.1 ec
Santa Scholastica was founded In the nItn
century by st: Benedict, Ie MG1 a. IA 9 9Ua
year. There are three cloisters-that IA
ting from 1852 is one of the earliest ex-
amples Of the pointed style OF archltectere'
The church, dedicated to st. Scholastica' |
contains nothing remarkable. 1t was sol
emn and mysterious to hear the monks
chanting behind the great altar, yet see no
one. 1t gave us an opportunity to plousiy
steal some of the beautiful flowers from on
the side altar to preserve IN memory Oh 'no
saint
library. and was the first place in Italy IN
which the printing press was esGa9Is 81 y:
A copy of Lactantius, printed IN 1907 Is
J still preserved in the library.
One and quarter miles from Santa ocnoc
|lastica is the .ss3ecra Speco" (Holy Grotto).
+ The ascent is steep and the scenery very
: grand. Entering gateway on the noun
\ tain side, we pass a magnlneeq1 grove VI
. chestputs before we come to the cohven1' q
a most curious and picturesque onliding'
: hanging as it were on the mountain s.ue'
supported by nine arches.
: ST. Benedict retired here when only TOUR
9 teen years old. One above another rise
: three chapels, the altar of each placed ID "a
recess of the rock. In the lower one OF.
u Benedict lived for three years, and there ls
l. n beautiful marble statue, by Berninl, OF
it the holy youth before cross, and beside
J. him the basket in which his food was daily
lowered dowr the mountain side by st
is Romanus. The original basket, as wen a.
the pastoral staff of the saint, are preserved
10 in the convent as holy relics. The chapel
is are all painted in frescoes of great interes
to and antiquity. That of st. Lawrence wa
painted in 1919 by Console" supposed Il
CT have come from Greece, and 20 nave Pre-
q coded Cimabue, the earliest of the ltallal
g. masters. The rude sketches on the SIDE Q
at the lower grotto are in the style OF those y
I'll the CatacOmbs, and date from inc saA.
century. Those of the middle and uppe
~ chapels, scenes from the lie OF oe. bene
G. dict and St. Scholastica, are OF the nfteent
o. century. The pointed architecture OF on
at of the channels is said to be Of the tent
Sc. century, and consequently the very eariiei
rit snecimen of the Gothic style OF Italy.
on In a chapel which St. Francis OF Asssl
of occrnied when he visited tbe monastery
tn. 1923 is portrait of the saint, taken by on
of the monks of the convent. Below rs IL
little garden filed with reses, descende
from those which st. Benedict himself Gu
NV his passions, he -Jhrew himself into
me he'd Of thorns, which were miraculous
alf tnrned into roses. Certain it is that tt
tne roses are marvelously sweet, and that a
ON most every green leaf bears upon its Ia
ae the form of a serpent. A rude fresco T
che nresents the scene, and another shows
YER fRanedict and ST. Scholastica at their frug
y: meal; perhaps ut the time OF the very w
' e,a when she urged him so tenderiy 20 rema
, oiu with her, feeling the approach OF aea'
wer He denied her, saying it was not seem
cen that he should be out of his convent at
ago n;gbtfall. She, who knew it to be the Ii
mus time she should behold the brother wh'
eer) abe so loved, bowed her head upon
:. table ana wepC, WucIcuPoh
10 Is came, SO dark and accompanied with ST
ONT iphtning aud thunder that no human be-
near could encounter the storm. See, brothe
said abe. " how much kinder is our Lord
ana me than you are" And it is related u
So OF thew passed the night in spiritual CONVEX
AXIS and bow the next day she died:
yes The story is also told how 'iotiia, ONT
le1 m, the Goths that scourged Italy, hearing
walls the great sanctity of st. Benedict,
ocks termined to visit him. He appeared v
one all the insignia of his high rank before
, , saint; who with commanding gest
mas ordered him to strip himself of tn
which were not rightly his, aud Ie
anu went away changed in heart, and ever
the sou utSi w Sagarol bonrs upon the fres
a!upe and upon the memories of the nobie q
Man whose miracles are recorded in them
mains while we meditated, there came souht
menu. melody, as it seemed, from out the
leiSn- mountain side. Nearer and nearer 1t
'lassic preached and two and two came the mo
nave chanting as they descended the WIN
uhian stone stairs from chapel TO chapel.
hSine paused at the lower cavern, and sang
tain psalms most sweetly; then each
'rcned stepped forward, and kissed the foot o.
onical saint, after which the lights were e.
70 thy puished on the altar, and all retired
esco, turning to town, we mounted to TN
their castle. from which the view is magnlii
injury. The following day, Sunday, we