Monastery of Saint Benedict near Subiaco, Rome

This exquisite watercolour painted in 1835 by the German artist Carl Ludwig Rundt (1802–1868) depicts the decorated interior at the Monastery of Saint Benedict near Subiaco, Rome. Set into the rock face of Mount Taleo, the 'Sacro Speco' or 'Holy Cave' as it is known, is one of the most significant places of Benedictine spirituality, being the site where the young Saint Benedict of Norcia lived as a hermit in the early 6th century. The frescos within the cave date back to the 13th and 14th centuries and include the oldest existing portrait of Saint Francis of Assisi, who reached Subiaco in 1223.

Exterior image 2: Simone Frignani, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Interior images 3 & 4: Monastero San Benedetto, Subiaco