Dates

• Existence: 480 March 3 - 547 March 23

Biographical note

Born in the district of Norcia, in Umbria, central Italy, he was sent to Rome for his studies, but left to join a sort of community of ecclesiastical students at Affile. Shortly after, he retired to a cave near Subiaco (now the Sacro Speco) to live as a hermit. He gathered many disciples and built a network of twelve small monasteries for them. About the year 530 he left Subiaco for Montecassino, where on the road to Naples he founded the great arch-abbey and where he lived till his death. His monastic Rule became the norm for all western monks, and was simply called "The Holy Rule." The French tradition maintains that the Benedict's remains were translated to Fleury in 703, although this is contested by the monks of Montecassino. Benedict was proclaimed Patron of Europe by Paul VI in 1964.

(paraphrased from The Book of Saints : A Dictionary of Persons Canonized or Beatified by the Catholic Church. 5th edition. New York: Crowell, 1966.)

Alternate names

Benedict of Nursia