San Benedetto, also called North Montecassino, is the birthplace of an ancient Benedictine monastery. The monastery, built by the Canossa family in 1007, later given to the Abbey of Cluni’U, is an important center of culture, religion and agriculture. The Gonzaga dynasty originated from here.
This town was chosen as the original burial place for Matilda di Canossa, from where she was transported to Rome, to St. Peter’s Basilica. Visit to the church of the monastery, in the restoration of which Giulio Romano took part, the ancient church of St. Mary (burial church of the monks) with ancient mosaics, the three interior courtyards of the monastery.The interior monastery courtyards, the worship hall, the vast refectory with a huge fresco by the young Correggio and the semi-basement rooms (since the fall also the monks’ cells and the ancient library-scriptorium), immerse you in the atmosphere of the old times in this ancient monastery, among whose guests was Martin Luther himself. In 1600, San Benedetto was the most important center of Catholic evangelism. More recently, the entire complex has been beautifully restored.
