In the vicinity of Norcia the Benedictine Way meets St. Scholastica
Not far from Norcia, the Benedictine Way leads to the Church of St. Scholastica, built on a fertile plateau, the bed of an ancient lake, which reaches 700 metres in altitude, in the heart of the Umbrian-Marches Apennines, in the Monti Sibilini National Park.
The church is dedicated to St. Scholastica, sister of St. Benedict because, according to tradition, it was in this place that she first brought together her fellow sisters and here that they lived until moving to Cassino.
The primitive heart of the church dates back to the High Middle Ages, as shown by the different structures with elements from the Roman era that can be seen around the current building. Restoration and rebuilding works took place between the end of the XIV century and the beginning of the XV, as they did in the XVII and XVIII centuries.
As can be seen in local records, throughout the centuries this place has been a place of worship and a focal point for pilgrims, above all during times of drought, as St. Scholastica is traditionally invoked by the people to defend them from lightning and to bring on rain
Guided tour
On the exterior of the church, the facade with its sloping roof was restored in the eighteenth century. Inside the church, with its single nave on a rectangular plan, highlights include a wooden ceiling from the XVIII century and a lunette on the far wall depicting the Madonna seated on a throne with the Christ Child, flanked by two angels. Along the walls a series of fifteenth century frescoes, portraying significant events in the life of St. Benedict, has recently been discovered. Graffiti, left by visitors to the church for more than half a century, decorate the rest of the walls.
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