A Cloister on the Mountainside
The Monastero di San Benedetto in Monte is perched above the ancient town of Nursia, birthplace of St. Benedict, founder of Western monasticism.
The birthplace of St. Benedict has always drawn men from faraway lands to seek God after the pattern established by the great saint’s Rule. Immersed in the peace and beauty of the enveloping Sibylline Mountains, monks for more than 15 centuries have engaged in spiritual warfare for their own salvation while also imploring God for the welfare for those in town.
The community of Benedictines who live there today, often known to the world simply as “The Monks of Norcia,” adhere to the ancient monastic observance found in the Rule of St. Benedict.
The community of Benedictines who live there today, often known to the world simply as “The Monks of Norcia,” adhere to the ancient monastic observance found in the Rule of St. Benedict.
A church reopened, a monastery in progress...The monks are restoring a dilapidated 16th-century monastery overlooking the Valley of St. Scholastica.
The historic 16th-church of Santa Maria della Misericordia was the only church that remained standing after a massive earthquake struck Norcia in 2016. Though severely damaged, diligent work by local craftsman and benefactor support from around the world allowed the monks to reopen in December of 2020.
Alongside the Church, the monks are rebuilding the dilapidated monastery overlooking the Valley of St. Scholastica, expected to be completed in early 2023. Bringing new life to the ancient buildings help the monks live their motto: Nova Facio Omnia (Apoc. Ch. V) 
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Chant that fills the valley…The monks' life of conversion is rooted in the traditional praying of the Divine Office 7 times during the day and once during the night.
The monks chant the full Office in Latin and offer the Holy Mass each day in the traditional form of the Roman Rite. The monks dedicate their prayers to those who have asked them for intercession, Church and world.
The monks have shared their chants in many ways since the founding of their community, most notably in the release of a Billboard-topping album in 2015. Benedicta, the monks’ CD of Marian chants, can be purchased using the links below.
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The Brewmonks of Norcia...Birra Nursia is brewed by the Benedictine monks of Norcia, the guardians of the legacy of St. Benedict in the city of his birth.
Inaugurated in 2012, Birra Nursia is the monks’ way to live out the maxim of St. Benedict that says true monks live by the work of their own hands.
With their viable industry underway, exporting brews to the USA and elsewhere, the monks try to be self-sustaining and raise funds to build their new home, while sharing their profits with those most in need in the earthquake-stricken valley. To visit the American Online Store click below ↓ 
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The people of Norcia…From the first days of their arrival in Norcia, the monks have been welcomed with open arms, warm smiles and spiritual, as well as material, assistance of all kinds.
Whether cooking a meal for a special feast, lending a helping hand with big moving projects or bottling beer with the monks for a few hours, townspeople have shown their great devotion to the saint through their consistent support of the monks’ community.
The monks hope that San Benedetto in Monte can offer the inhabitants of Norcia and pilgrims from around the world a place to pray and, through silence and peace they might not find in the world, an opportunity to seek God. |
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Through the help of generous benefactors in Italy, the United States and others around the world, the church of Santa Maria della Misericordia has reopened and reconstruction of the 16th-century monastery is well under way. To take part in this historic rebuilding, please consider a donation of any size in one of these ways.
If you would like to sponsor a room or a specific part of the project, please write to info@nursia.org.
If you would like to sponsor a room or a specific part of the project, please write to info@nursia.org.