Day Trips Through Italy
Day trips are one of the highlights of living in Rome. Because of the many different modes of public transportation and the close proximity of important towns and shrines, it is easy to travel outside Rome for the day.
This weekend seemed to be prime time for day trips, because almost everybody went on one. On Saturday, a group visited Subiaco. Built into the mountainside above the town is a monastery founded by St. Benedict. Although I did not go, those who did told me about the beautiful frescoes inside and the tombs of St. Benedict and St. Scholastica.
On Sunday, I visited Orvieto. This is a quaint little 13th century midaevel town whose claim to fame is the Eucharistic miracle that is housed in its main church. The church itself is stunningly beautiful. The sculpted façade is typical of its time period and has four panels: the creation story, the gospel story, the last judgement, and one with random pictures. We were amazed at how intricately carved these panels are. This church was built to house the Eucharistic miracle that occurred in a nearby town. In the 13th century, a parish priest didn’t believe in the miracle of transubstantiation. One day as he was saying the consecration, the host began to bleed. The pope happened to be in Orvieto for a visit, and some of the villagers rushed the patent(the square of white cloth) to the pope so that he could see for himself the miracle that had taken place. This patent is now housed in a side chapel of the church.
Although I enjoyed Orvieto, I liked Monte Cassino even better. We visited this monastery on Monday. It was originally built by St. Benedict in the 6th century, but was destroyed during World War II, and rebuilt soon after. What I liked about this monastery was its beauty. It is built on the top of a small mountain, and is surrounded by a mountain range. Although there is a city below, the monastery itself it is so peaceful. The architecture is simple yet beautiful. Inside, although it is decorated in the style of a renaissance church, the artwork was clearly done in the mid-20th century. This combination gives it a timeless feel, which is excentuated by the silence and mystery of the place.
It is amazing to think that we can visit all three of these amazing places in one weekend.
