# Subiaco A day trip from Rome: the Sacro Speco hanging from the rock, the monastery of Santa Scolastica, the medieval village and rafting on the Aniene. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/subiaco · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Subiaco lies in the upper Aniene valley, about 75 kilometres east of Rome, among the mountains of the Monti Simbruini regional park. St Benedict withdrew here in the late 5th century, lived three years in a cave and founded thirteen monasteries before leaving for Montecassino. From that history two of the most impressive places in Lazio remain: the Sacro Speco, a monastery hanging from a rock wall, and Santa Scolastica, with its three cloisters. Around them, a medieval village and a clear-water river you can run by raft. ## What can you see in Subiaco in a day? The Sacro Speco, first. The monastery of San Benedetto was built over the saint's cave, on several levels of churches and chapels covered in frescoes, and holds the portrait of St Francis of Assisi considered the oldest. It opens in the morning from 9:00 to 12:30 and you enter accompanied by a guide; on Sunday morning part of the sanctuary closes for Masses. Santa Scolastica, a few hundred metres lower down, is the only one of St Benedict's thirteen monasteries still standing, with its Renaissance, Gothic and Cosmatesque cloisters. Italy's first printing press was set up here in the 15th century. It reopens in the afternoon at 15:30. The old town and the St Francis bridge, in the afternoon: the village spirals up to the abbatial Rocca, and on the outskirts the single-arched medieval bridge crosses the Aniene. If you're with children or feel adventurous, swap the walk for rafting on the Aniene, which can be done by raft from age 2 or 3, or for a guided excursion in the Simbruini. ## How do you get there from Rome? By car, around an hour: A24 motorway to the Vicovaro-Mandela exit and the SS5 Tiburtina along the Aniene valley. The monasteries are about 3 km from the village, along a road with parking at the foot of the Sacro Speco, from which you climb a ten-minute path. Without a car, the blue Cotral buses leave from the Ponte Mammolo terminal, on metro line B, and reach Subiaco in about an hour and a half, passing through Tivoli and the valley villages. In Subiaco, for the monasteries, take a taxi or an uphill walk. Check the return times: on public holidays there are fewer buses. ## When to go? The monasteries are open every day of the year. From April to October the valley is green, the river invites rafting and the afternoons are long: the Sacro Speco opens in the afternoon until 18:00 in summer and until 17:00 in winter. Avoid Sunday morning if you want to see all of the Sacro Speco; on the other hand, at Santa Scolastica the 10:00 Mass on public holidays is sung in Gregorian chant. ## Where to eat and sleep? Next to Santa Scolastica, the monks' foresteria has rooms for one to five people and a restaurant open also to those not staying. In the countryside, the Agriturismo Colle Tocci cooks with its own produce and has rooms from €90 for a double with breakfast. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Tivoli (a 24.8 km), Castelli Romani (a 40.9 km), Garden of Ninfa and Sermoneta (a 41.4 km), Rome (a 50.7 km) ## Qué hacer - **Monastery of San Benedetto, the Sacro Speco** (1 h 15 · Medieval art, spirituality, landscape): About three kilometres from Subiaco, above the Aniene valley, the monastery of San Benedetto clings to a rock wall. It was built over the cave, the Sacro Speco, where St Benedict lived as a hermit at the end of the 5th century, before founding his monasteries and writing the Rule. Inside are churches and chapels stacked on several levels, covered in frescoes from the 13th to the 15th centuries, which descend to the grotto. In the chapel of St Gregory is the portrait of St Francis of Assisi considered the oldest, painted in the saint's lifetime. Hours Open every day. In the morning, from 9:00 to 12:30 (last entry at 12:00); in the afternoon, from 15:00 to 17:00 in winter (2 November to 31 March) and from 15:00 to 18:00 in summer. On Sunday mornings part of the sanctuary is closed for the masses at 8:30 and 10:00. For safety, you enter only accompanied by a guide; individual visitors and small groups do not need to book. Rules Photos may be taken without flash. Only small dogs are admitted, carried in arms or in a carrier. From the car park you walk up a path among holm oaks, about ten minutes. Getting there By car from Subiaco, along the road of the monasteries, with parking below. Without a car, from the village it is about three kilometres uphill; better a taxi on the way up. - **Monastery of Santa Scolastica** (1 h · History, art, Gregorian chant): Santa Scolastica is on the same road as the Sacro Speco, a little lower down. Of the thirteen monasteries that St Benedict founded in the valley, it is the only one that survives, and it is still inhabited by Benedictine monks. Its great attraction is the three cloisters of different periods: the Renaissance, the Gothic and the Cosmatesque, with small columns decorated with mosaic. In the 15th century the first printing press in Italy was set up in the monastery. Hours The visit is accompanied by a guide. It is open from 9:30 to 12:15 and in the afternoon from 15:30 to 17:15 in winter and from 15:30 to 18:15 in summer. Information on 0774 82421. Masses If you are interested in Gregorian chant, the solemn mass on public holidays is at 10:00, with Gregorian chant; on those days there is another mass at 16:30 on winter hours and at 17:30 in summer. On working days, a sung mass at 7:45. Fitting it in Go first to the Sacro Speco, higher up, and then come down to Santa Scolastica. Next to the monastery is the foresteria, with rooms and a restaurant also open to those not staying. - **Rafting on the Aniene river from Subiaco** (1 h 30 · 5 km · Families with children, groups of friends · Desde 25 € per person): The Aniene comes down clean and cold from the Simbruini mountains and passes through Subiaco before continuing towards Tivoli and Rome. The stretch next to the village is run in an inflatable raft with a guide: it is the activity that brings the most people to Subiaco in summer, and the one that turns the visit to the monasteries into a well-rounded day with children. What you do Soft rafting is a calm descent of about 5 km, around an hour and a half, designed for families: you do not need to know how to swim and children from age 2 or 3 can go, depending on the adults accompanying them and the time of year. Power rafting, of about two hours, is livelier and calls for confidence in the water. It is run by Vivere l'Aniene, based at Largo Martiri di Cicchetti, 1, in Subiaco, with qualified guides and open all year. Prices Soft rafting from €25 per person; power rafting from €39; the centre also offers canyoning from €50 and walking excursions from €13. Book on their website, by phone or WhatsApp (320 968 1006); they call you the day before to confirm. What to bring Swimsuit, towel, a change of clothes and shoes that can get wet. The wetsuit, helmet and life jacket are supplied by the centre. - **Guided hikes in the Simbruini Mountains** (4 h · Walkers, families with children who can walk · Desde 13 € per person): Subiaco is the gateway to the Monti Simbruini regional park, one of the great regional parks of Lazio: limestone mountains with beech woods, karst plateaus and springs. Above the village is Monte Livata, the mountain resort of the Romans. The outings Vivere l'Aniene, the activity centre in Subiaco, organises guided excursions almost every weekend. Each route has its difficulty grade in the technical sheet, and most are suitable for everyone. The meeting point is usually their base in Subiaco, or the park's Visitor Centre at Monte Livata when the route starts higher up. In November 2026 their calendar includes, for example, the route through the Fondi di Jenne and Colle Campitellino among autumn beech woods and that of the Camposecco plateau. From €13 per person. Dogs On many routes they are admitted, except in protected areas where they are prohibited; the centre tells you when you book, and its guides also organise outings designed for going with a dog. - **Subiaco: the old town, the Rocca and St Francis's Bridge** (1 h 30 · A walk, photography): The old town of Subiaco climbs in a spiral up a hill crowned by the abbatial Rocca, the fortress of the abbots who ruled the valley. It is a stone village, with stairways, arches and huddled houses, which can be walked in an hour. The walk Climb through the streets of the old town to the esplanade of the Rocca, from where you can see the Aniene valley and, opposite, the road of the monasteries. Then go down towards the river and leave the village for the Ponte di San Francesco, a medieval single-arch bridge with a tower at one end, over the Aniene. It is the classic photo of Subiaco. When Mid-afternoon, after the monasteries and before returning to Rome. In summer, the river beside the bridge cools the walk. ## Dónde comer - **Restaurant of the Foresteria of Santa Scolastica** (Restaurant, Subiaco, €). Qué pedir: the menu of the day of home cooking; ask when you book ## By car: By car: monasteries, river and mountain By car the day goes far: the two monasteries in the morning, the river or the bridge in the afternoon and, if you have time left, the climb to Monte Livata. From Rome, about an hour on the A24 and the Tiburtina; the valley is narrow and the bends many. Presupuesto orientativo: 70–140 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Foresteria of the Monastery of Santa Scolastica** (Pilgrim hostel): Sleeping next to the monastery The foresteria is the guesthouse of the monastery of Santa Scolastica, run by the Benedictine monks of Subiaco. It is on Piazzale Santa Scolastica, on the road of the monasteries, about three kilometres from the village and a walk from the Sacro Speco. The rooms have the essentials for a comfortable stay and sleep from one to five people, so they also suit families. The restaurant It has several dining rooms for guests and for those not staying, also groups; one of them has frescoes on the walls. It is the simplest way to eat on a day of monasteries without going down to the village. You book a table on the same phone number. How to book Accommodation and restaurant are booked on 0774 85569 or 348 653 7743, or from the foresteria's page, which has forms for a table and a stay. It is a religious guesthouse: a quiet place, with the monastery's masses at the door, the one on public holidays with Gregorian chant. - **Agriturismo Colle Tocci** (Country house, desde 90 € / night): A farm above the valley Colle Tocci is the farm stay of Leonardo and Paola and their twin daughters, at Contrada Castagnola, 8, on a hill on the outskirts of Subiaco. They cook with their own produce and local produce: meat from the Simbruini mountains, vegetables from the garden, home-made bread and pasta and legumes from the area, such as the chickpeas of Arcinazzo; on the menu are traditional dishes such as strozzapreti and pappaciucco. Rooms It offers bed-and-breakfast accommodation, in doubles or multiples, all with bathroom, television, wifi and parking, and two apartments. Published prices, with breakfast: double, €90 a night; quadruple, €120; apartment, €140. On weekdays it often houses local workers and has a small meeting room. Who it suits For those who come by car and want a quiet night after the monasteries or the rafting, with dinner at home. Book a room and a table by phone (335 688 3955 or 349 285 6786) or from the website. ## By plane: Fly to Rome and drive to the Aniene valley Subiaco is about 75 km east of Rome, in the Aniene valley, and can be reached from the city's two airports: Fiumicino (FCO), with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga, Alicante, Palma and the Canary Islands, among others, and Ciampino (CIA), with low-cost routes. By car, from Ciampino it is about an hour; from Fiumicino, a little over an hour and a quarter, by the ring road and the A24. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Foresteria of the Monastery of Santa Scolastica** (Pilgrim hostel): Sleeping next to the monastery The foresteria is the guesthouse of the monastery of Santa Scolastica, run by the Benedictine monks of Subiaco. It is on Piazzale Santa Scolastica, on the road of the monasteries, about three kilometres from the village and a walk from the Sacro Speco. The rooms have the essentials for a comfortable stay and sleep from one to five people, so they also suit families. The restaurant It has several dining rooms for guests and for those not staying, also groups; one of them has frescoes on the walls. It is the simplest way to eat on a day of monasteries without going down to the village. You book a table on the same phone number. How to book Accommodation and restaurant are booked on 0774 85569 or 348 653 7743, or from the foresteria's page, which has forms for a table and a stay. It is a religious guesthouse: a quiet place, with the monastery's masses at the door, the one on public holidays with Gregorian chant. - **Agriturismo Colle Tocci** (Country house, desde 90 € / night): A farm above the valley Colle Tocci is the farm stay of Leonardo and Paola and their twin daughters, at Contrada Castagnola, 8, on a hill on the outskirts of Subiaco. They cook with their own produce and local produce: meat from the Simbruini mountains, vegetables from the garden, home-made bread and pasta and legumes from the area, such as the chickpeas of Arcinazzo; on the menu are traditional dishes such as strozzapreti and pappaciucco. Rooms It offers bed-and-breakfast accommodation, in doubles or multiples, all with bathroom, television, wifi and parking, and two apartments. Published prices, with breakfast: double, €90 a night; quadruple, €120; apartment, €140. On weekdays it often houses local workers and has a small meeting room. Who it suits For those who come by car and want a quiet night after the monasteries or the rafting, with dinner at home. Book a room and a table by phone (335 688 3955 or 349 285 6786) or from the website. ### Servicios - **Cotral bus Rome – Subiaco**: The blue Cotral buses link Rome with Subiaco along the Tiburtina and the Aniene valley, leaving from Ponte Mammolo, on metro line B. ## As a family: A monastery in the rock and a river to raft down Subiaco is one of the most complete plans with children from Rome: the Sacro Speco is something like a castle perched on a cliff, with a cave, and the Aniene can be rafted from age 2 or 3. Monasteries in the morning and the river in the afternoon. ### What works best Soft rafting of 5 km on the Aniene, with no need to know how to swim The Sacro Speco, with its path among holm oaks and the cave of St Benedict The Bridge of St Francis and the old town, for stretching your legs Guided excursions in the Simbruini for children who can walk ### Where to stay Foresteria of Santa Scolastica, with rooms for up to five Agriturismo Colle Tocci, with a quadruple room and apartments ### Where to eat Foresteria restaurant, between the monasteries Colle Tocci, with home cooking ### Good to know The monasteries are visited with a guide and in silence: better before nap time The Sacro Speco path is not for pushchairs ### Qué hacer as a family - Monastery of San Benedetto, the Sacro Speco - Rafting on the Aniene river from Subiaco - Guided hikes in the Simbruini Mountains - Subiaco: the old town, the Rocca and St Francis's Bridge ## With teenagers: Rafting, canyons and a hanging monastery For teenagers, Subiaco has what Rome does not: adventure on the river and in the mountains. Vivere l'Aniene's power rafting and canyoning are the hook; the Sacro Speco, hanging from the rock, tends to surprise them more than they expect. ### What works best Power rafting on the Aniene, from €39 Canyoning with a guide, from €50 The Sacro Speco and its portrait of St Francis painted in his lifetime Santa Scolastica, where the first book in Italy was printed ### Where to stay Agriturismo Colle Tocci, in the countryside ### Where to eat Colle Tocci or the Foresteria ### Good to know Power rafting calls for confidence in the water The monasteries close at midday: plan around that ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Monastery of San Benedetto, the Sacro Speco - Monastery of Santa Scolastica - Rafting on the Aniene river from Subiaco - Guided hikes in the Simbruini Mountains ## Consejos ### Start with the Sacro Speco It opens at 9:00 and closes at midday; Santa Scolastica reopens at 15:30. ### Eat next to the monasteries The foresteria saves you going down to the village and back up. ### Book the rafting In summer and at weekends it fills up. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How do I get from Rome to Subiaco without a car? By Cotral bus from Ponte Mammolo (metro B), around an hour and a half. ### What are the monasteries' opening hours? In the morning from about 9:00 to 12:30 and in the afternoon from 15:00 or 15:30, until 17:00 or 18:00 depending on the season. ### Do you have to pay an entry fee? The visits are accompanied by a guide; confirm the conditions at each monastery. ### Can you go rafting with children? Yes, soft rafting takes children from age 2 or 3 and you don't need to be able to swim. ### How much time is needed? A day: the monasteries in the morning and afternoon, and the river or the village in between.