Monte Cassino is built on a rocky hill along the Garigliano and Rapido Rivers about 80 miles south east of Rome. It was here in Monte Cassino that Saint Benedict established his first monastery in 529 AD. This monastery became the spiritual home of the Benedictine Order. The saint’s remains are interred beneath the High Altar alongside those of his twin sister, St Scholastica, who often visited Benedict at Monte Cassino. In 1964, Benedict was proclaimed patron saint of Europe by Pope Paul VI. His sister Scholastica is the patron saint of religious sisters.

Monte Cassino is also the site of the Battle of Monte Cassino which took place in1944 during World War II.

What will I see when I visit:

• The sacred relics and monastery of Saint Benedict- the Patron Saint Of Europe.
• Relics of Saint Scholastica
• Visit to the Polish War Cemetery which holds the graves of over one thousand Poles who died during the bombing of the Bendictine Abbey in 1944.
• Breathtaking views from Monte Cassino Abbey.