This is an independent website and it'is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Vatican Museums.
Pope makes surprise visit to Trinity Church and Benedictine monastery
Pope makes surprise visit to Trinity Church and Benedictine monastery
On Wednesday morning, July 22, 2026, Pope Leo XIV unexpectedly visited the Shrine of the Holy Trinity in Vallepietra, then continued to Subiaco to tour the Monastery of St. Benedict and the Monastery of St. Scholastica.
Carved into Mount Autore, the Shrine of the Holy Trinity sits on the border between Italy’s central Lazio and Abruzzo regions.
A communiqué posted on Telegram by the Holy See Press Office said that the Pope prayed before the shrine’s revered Holy Trinity fresco and greeted the faithful as well as members of the religious community.
Pope Leo spent the summer at Castel Gandolfo before driving to the shrine, located more than 1,800 meters above sea level in the Monti Simbruini. Thousands of pilgrims visit the site; many make their way up the mountain trails on foot, carrying banners for Pentecost and the Feast of St. Anne, celebrated on 26 July.
Inside the cave, ancient Byzantine-style frescoes portray the Holy Trinity as three identical figures of Christ. The Chapel of St. Anne lies at the foot of the steps rising from the shrine, intricately carved into the living rock.
Monastery of Saint Benedict
After visiting Vallepietra, Pope Leo XIV continued to Subiaco, where he toured the Monastery of St. Benedict.
During his visit to the monastic complex, the Pope paused in silence before the 13th-century fresco of St. Francis. Following tradition, he kissed the knee of the statue of St. Benedict in the Sacred Cave, then led those present in reciting the Our Father.
Pope Leo XIV in the Sacred Cave of St Benedict in Subiaco (@Vatican Media)
For nearly a thousand years, the Monastery and its Shrine of the Sacred Cave have been considered among the foremost sites of Benedictine spirituality.
In the early 6th century, the young Saint Benedict of Norcia lived as a hermit in a cave, following the example of the Desert Fathers. In that secluded, untamed setting, he developed the charism and spirituality that would eventually lead him to establish the first monastic communities and lay the foundation for Western monasticism.
The Pope then went to the Monastery of St. Scholastica, where he ate with the Benedictine community before visiting the cloisters and convent.
According to the Holy See Press Office, the Pope was traveling to Castel Gandolfo when its statement was released.
Before his Wednesday outings, the Pope made a private visit to the Abbey of Montecassino on Monday, July 20, where he prayed for peace throughout the world.