Norcia is a town and commune in the province of Perugia (Italy) in southeastern Umbria with roots as early as the 5th century BC. St. Benedict and his twin sister St. Scholastica, were born here in AD 480. In the 8th century, an oratory was built so pilgrims could pray at their birthplace. While the Church was destroyed by an earthquake in 2016, restoration is currently underway. Today, a vibrant community of monks maintain a Benedictine presence in the city. To learn more, visit their website.

The Church of St. Benedict in Piscinula, in Rome's Trastevere neighborhood, was built on what tradition holds to be the site of St. Benedict's room while he lived in Rome. It was here he lived before fleeing the city. A small chapel was first constructed here in the 7th century. In 2033, the Church was entrusted to the Heralds of the Gospel. To learn more, visit their website.

Subiaco is a town and commune in the Metropolitan City of Rome, in Lazio, central Italy. When St. Benedict, at the age of fourteen (c. 494), retired from the world and lived for three years in a cave above the river Anio, he was supplied with the necessaries of life by a monk, St. Roman. From this grotto, St. Benedict developed the concepts and organization of the Benedictine Order. An active community still welcomes pilgrims today. To learn more, visit the their website.

Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about 130 kilometres (80 mi) southeast of Rome, in the Latin Valley. In 529, St. Benedict established the Benedictine Order here and wrote the Holy Rule. It is a working monastery and active pilgrimage site, housing the remains of St. Benedict and his twin sister, St. Scholastica, which have managed to survive the events of the abbey’s long and turbulent history. To learn more, visit their website.

Founded in 766, Metten Abbey is one of the oldest abbeys in Bavaria. Monks have been living here following Christ according to the Rule of St. Benedict and dedicating themselves to the various tasks of faith, education, science and economy for more than 1,250 years. In 1832, Boniface Wimmer became one of the first monks of Metten Abbey following the Restoration after the Napoleonic Suppression. Boniface Wimmer would later go on to found St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, PA, in 1846. To learn more, visit the website dedicated to him.

Sant'Anselmo all'Aventino is a complex located on Rome’s Aventine Hill. Since its reestablishment in 1887, it has served as a global house of studies for Benedictines around the would. Archabbot Boniface Wimmer of St. Vincent, was among the first to lobby for it’s reestablishment and revival. Today, the college boasts living quarters for 120 professors and students—mainly Benedictines from 40 nations—and is the residence of the International Papal University of Sant’Anselmo with 450 students. To learn more, visit their website.