Basilica di San Benedetto, Norcia

The Basilica di San Benedetto stands on the main square of Norcia, a walled town in the south-eastern corner of Umbria at the edge of the Monti Sibillini. Tradition holds that it rises over the very house where Saint Benedict, founder of Western monasticism, and his twin sister Scholastica were born around 480 AD, and excavations beneath the church have revealed Roman-era walls said to belong to that dwelling. The medieval basilica that grew over the site, with its fine Gothic facade, rose window and statues of the twins flanking the portal, was for centuries the spiritual centre of the town. The powerful earthquakes of 2016 devastated Norcia and brought down most of the basilica, leaving only the facade and parts of the walls standing; since then it has been the focus of a careful, long-term reconstruction, and visitors today see a building in the process of being rebuilt and stabilised, with the resident Benedictine monks continuing their life nearby. Even amid the works, the square, the surviving facade and the story of Benedict make it a moving stop, and information boards explain the damage and the recovery. A visit, taking in the square and the basilica's exterior, usually takes forty-five minutes to an hour. Norcia is also celebrated for its cured meats and black truffles, and the walk around its sturdy walls and shops is part of any visit. Because access and opening depend on the state of the reconstruction, it is wise to verify locally what can currently be seen. The town is reached by car through the mountains, an hour or so from the Valle Umbra, in upland Umbria.