The road that winds through the woods leading up to the Eremo delle Carceri (Carceri Hermitage) passes by one of the oldest and most obscure buildings on Mount Subasio, hidden among the dense vegetation. The St Benedict Abbey (Abbazia di S. Benedetto) peeks out unexpectedly from the dense brush just beyond a curve in the road and appears suddenly in all its grandeur. Its position, though out of sight, still dominates the valley below, revealing its strategic importance and the fundamental role it played in the past in having control over this territory.
Its origins are lost in the course of the early Middle Ages, too unclear and undocumented to be able to date it exactly. The only elements available to help give an age to the structure are from stories written by 17th century authors like Vitale and Iacobilli, who claim – with perhaps a bit too much optimism – that the abbey existed at the time of St. Benedict. But when visiting the crypt, called a triastila, which refers to the particular layout of the space containing three carved columns that form a mysterious triangle in the center, you realize right away that the floor tiled with very small red bricks in a herringbone pattern you are standing on is obviously ancient. A recent interpretation is that the crypt is from the 7th-8th centuries and was once a Christian chapel, a restructuring of a pre-existing pagan temple.
A few vague historical notions began to appear in the second half of the 11th century when the building was under the powerful and prosperous Abbey of Farfa in Sabina; it was used as the administration center for the Benedictine order for the surrounding area. Confirmed facts began with the privileges granted by Popes Eugene III and Alexander III in the 12th century and then again in the next century when the structure passed under control of the Cistercian monks; later it became a hideout for bandits banished from Assisi because of frequent quarrels between rival families. This became a problem for governing bodies because the bandits could easily plan their revenge undisturbed and not far from the town. The abbey soon ceased to be a place of worship and became a coveted military stronghold. In fact, in the 14th century it was partially destroyed under orders of the Gonfalonier of Assisi, then it was taken over by the army from Perugia. Little more than the chapel remained of the old monastery. Even the bell tower was lost, the only traces of which can be seen in a fresco by Giotto in the Upper Church (Basilica Superiore), included among the portrayals of stories about St Frances. Once the armies had left, the structure was abandoned and neglected for over two hundred years; it was then taken over and restructured by various orders of monks one after the other. In 1945 the Benedictine monks of St Peter of Assisi took possession of it and began twenty years of works and remodeling giving it the look it has today. Earthquakes in recent years in this area compromised the stability of several structures, but the monks went back to work to restore the beauty of this important piece of our historical and cultural heritage.
The monastery includes several buildings for the convent and of course the church. The church is in an austere Romanesque style with a single aisle and a raised presbytery. The ceiling has collapsed and the interior is quite impressive. A Romanesque crypt is below the presbytery, divided by five short aisles bordered by columns with beautifully carved capitals. Wandering around the presbytery you will see a slab over a tomb with an engraving probably depicting the person buried there – an abbot with a crosier and wearing a miter. Moving further along the corridors with rock vaulted ceilings, you will find the entrance to the heart of the abbey – the triastila crypt, described above, which is square with a semicircular apse. An altar or perhaps a sarcophagus might have once been in the triangular area bordered by columns. A definite air of antiquity and mystery will surround you and will not abbandon you until you return to the floor above.