Our Easter Pilgrimage in Italy continues in Norcia, with its rugged mountains and steep valleys. This area continues to attract those seeking a contemplative, monastic life. Decades before the birth of St. Benedict, Norcia became home to dozens of monks. Some lived a solitary life and others lived in small, communal groups. The small groups provided an early model for what would become the communal life of St. Benedict’s monks. Today, that tradition has returned in the community begun by an American monk, Father Cassian Folsom, whom we visit.
The
Palazzo Seneca, only 50 yards from the main piazza, is our home in Norcia for the next two nights
. The palace that houses
Palazzo Seneca
was
originally built in the 16th century and was completely renovated by
our friends, Carlo and Anna Bianconi. Here, perhaps y
ou choose to spent quiet moments sitting in the beautiful library or garden room, enjoying a cup of afternoon tea.
In the early evening of Holy Thursday, we go outside the walled city into the
hills surrounding Norcia to participate in the Liturgy of The Lord’s Supper with the
Benedictine Monks of Norcia.Their relocated home is on the side of a mountain, built next to the ruins of an old monastery.
Afterwards, we dine next to our hotel at a restaurant with a huge iron
wood-burning grill at one end of the dining room. In mid-
spring,
the fire provides needed warmth and a lovely ambiance
. Our meal is farm-to-table
; we especially recommend
their one-of-a-kind lentil soup,
which tastes like no other lentil soup in the world. Sometimes one of the monks,
often
Father Cassian, comes out of the monastery to join
us for dinner and
thoughtful conversation in the heart of Italy. These companionable meals and conversations are a hallmark of our Easter Pilgrimage in Italy.
After dinner we return to our rooms, perhaps for quiet prayer or reading, and restful sleep. We prepare ourselves for Good Friday …
