Montecassino

Montecassino, a small town about 80 miles south of Rome, is the home of the sacred relics and monastery of St. Benedict, the patron saint of Europe and the founder of western monasticism. Montecassino Monastery has had a troubled history, suffering from repeated attacks, pillage, and natural disasters. The building that stands today was constructed after 1944 using the old plans. The basilica, richly decorated in stucco and mosaics, enshrines the relics of St. Benedict and his sister, St. Scholastica, which survived the bombings.The abbey museum displays medieval art and artifacts from the monastery and explains the history of monasticism. The monastic church, the main destination for pilgrims, features an urn under the high altar containing the relics of Benedict and Scholastica.