us, who daily let down food
to him, half of his own loaf, by a cord from the top of the cliff. At
length the hiding-place was revealed to the village priest in a vision,
and pilgrims flocked from all quarters to the valley. Through the
disciples who gathered around Benedict, this desolate ravine became the
cradle of monastic life in the West, and twelve monasteries rose amid
its peaks under the Benedictine rule....

Nothing can exceed the solemn grandeur of the situation of the convent
dedicated to St. Scholastica, the sainted sister of St. Benedict, which
was founded in the fifth century, and which, till quite lately, included
as many as sixteen towns and villages among its possessions. The scenery
becomes more romantic and savage at every step as we ascend the winding
path after leaving St. Scholastica, till a small gate admits us to the
famous immemorial Ilex Grove of St. Benedict, which is said to date from
the fifth century, and which has never been profaned by ax or hatchet.
Beyond it the path narrows, and a steep winding stair, just wide enough
to admit one person at a time, leads to the platform before the second
convent, which up to that moment is entirely concealed. Its name, Sacro
Speco, commemorates the holy cave of St. Benedict.

At the portal, the thrilling interest of the place is suggested by the
inscription--"Here is the patriarchal cradle of the monks of the West
Order of St. Benedict." The entrance corridor, built on arches over the
abyss, has frescoes of four sainted popes, and ends in an ante-chamber
with beautiful Umbrian frescoes, and a painted statue of St. Benedict.
Here we enter the all-glorious church of 1116, completely covered with
ancient frescoes. A number of smaller chapels, hewn out of the rock, are
dedicated to the sainted followers of the founder. Some of the paintings
are by the rare Umbrian master Concioli. A staircase in front of the
high altar leads to the lower church. At the foot of the first flight of
steps, above the charter of 1213, setting forth all its privileges, is
the frescoed figure of Innocent III., who first raised Subiaco into an
abbacy; in the same fresco is represented Abbot John of Tagliacozzo,
under whom (1217-1277) many of the paintings were executed.

On the second landing, the figure of Benedict faces us on a window with
his finger on his lips, imposing silence. On the left is the coro, on
the right the cave where Benedict is said to have passed three years in