Restaurant of the Foresteria of Santa Scolastica
What to order: the menu of the day of home cooking; ask when you book
geocalia
Day itinerary · 41.93° N · 13.09° E
Day trip to Subiaco: a monastery in the rock and a river to raft down.
An hour from Rome on the A24: the monastery hanging from the Sacro Speco, lunch in the Benedictine guesthouse, Santa Scolastica and the afternoon on the Aniene river.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Roma fromBarcelona 1 h 45Alicante 2 h 15Bilbao 2 h 15Valencia 2 h 15Zaragoza 2 h 15Madrid 2 h 30Asturias 2 h 45Málaga 2 h 45Sevilla 2 h 45Fuerteventura 4 h 30
Part of Subiaco
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car1 h each way
RaftingFrom €25
WalkingAbout 2 h, with slopes
DifficultyEasy
Best timeApril – October
Best daySaturday or weekdays
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Rome 1 h by car
A24 to Vicovaro-Mandela and the Tiburtina; without a car, Cotral from Ponte Mammolo
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1
Monastery of San Benedetto, the Sacro Speco
Rock churches, St Benedict's cave and the portrait of St Francis · 1 h 15 · with a guide
- 10 min on foot
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2
Monastery of Santa Scolastica
The three cloisters · 1 h · accompanied visit until 12:15
- 2 min on foot
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3
Restaurant of the Foresteria of Santa Scolastica
Home cooking in the monks' dining room · € · book by phone
Piazzale Santa Scolastica, 1, 00028 Subiaco · +39 0774 85569
Restaurant €Book - 10 min by car4 km
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4
Rafting on the Aniene river from Subiaco
5 km soft rafting · 1 h 30 · from €25 · booking
+39 320 968 1006
- 15 min on foot
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5
Subiaco: the old town, the Rocca and St Francis's Bridge
The medieval bridge over the Aniene before heading back
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Back home
About an hour to Rome
Approximate cost
About €35–45 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Monastery of San Benedetto, the Sacro Speco
Subiaco joins the spiritual and the physical in one day. In the morning, the two monasteries of St Benedict: the Sacro Speco, built over the cave where the saint lived and hanging from a rock wall, and Santa Scolastica, with its three cloisters. At midday, lunch in the monks' guesthouse. And in the afternoon, the Aniene river by raft, or a walk to the medieval bridge.
The day, hour by hour
8:00 · Leave Rome. A24 motorway to Vicovaro-Mandela and the Tiburtina, about an hour. Without a car, a Cotral bus from Ponte Mammolo, about an hour and a half.
9:15 · The Sacro Speco. Park at the foot of the monastery and climb the path between holm oaks, ten minutes. You enter accompanied by a guide: superimposed churches covered in frescoes, St Benedict's cave and the portrait of St Francis in the chapel of San Gregorio. It opens at 9:00 and the last morning admission is at 12:00.
11:00 · Santa Scolastica. A few hundred metres further down. The accompanied visit is open from 9:30 to 12:15: the Renaissance, Gothic and Cosmatesque cloisters, and the story of Italy's first printing press.
12:30 · Lunch at the foresteria. The dining room of the Benedictine guesthouse, next to the monastery, open also to those who are not staying. It does not publish opening hours: book by phone.
15:00 · Rafting on the Aniene. With Vivere l'Aniene, in the village: 5 km of soft rafting, an hour and a half, from €25. You do not need to be able to swim and children from 2 or 3 years old take part. Book beforehand.
17:00 · The bridge of San Francesco. A short walk to the medieval bridge over the Aniene before heading back.
17:45 · Return. About an hour to Rome.
What if it is a Sunday?
On Sunday morning part of the Sacro Speco is closed for Mass. Go first to Santa Scolastica, to the 10:00 Mass with Gregorian chant or to the visit afterwards, and leave the Sacro Speco for the afternoon, when it reopens at 15:00. The rafting, in the morning.
Time1 h 15
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Subiaco
All year. On Sunday morning part of the Sacro Speco is closed for Mass: if you go on a Sunday, reverse the order. Rafting runs all year; the river and the mountain look their best from April to October.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the rafting and lunch
Both fill up at weekends.
- 2Comfortable shoes
The path to the Sacro Speco and the old town have slopes.
If it rains
The monasteries can be seen just the same; swap the rafting for the old town and the Rocca.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Rome to Subiaco?
By car, about an hour on the A24; by Cotral bus from Ponte Mammolo, an hour and a half.
Can you see both monasteries in one morning?
Yes, starting at 9:00 at the Sacro Speco.
Can children go rafting?
Yes, soft rafting admits children from 2 or 3 years old.
Where do you eat?
At the foresteria of the Santa Scolastica monastery, with a booking.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/subiaco/itineraries/rome-subiaco-st-benedict-monasteries-day-trip
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.