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The Museum of Silence in Fara in Sabina: inside the cloister of the Hermit Poor Clares
In the Monastery of the Hermit Poor Clares (Clarisse Eremite), perched on Mount Buzio, 40 km from Rome, lies a museum that begins in almost complete darkness. Visitors enter a windowless rectangular hall where display cases light up in a pre-set sequence to reveal their contents: a rosary, a scale for medicinal herbs, a pair of sewing scissors. These are humble objects, yet deeply symbolic. This is the Museum of Silence, inaugurated in 2004 and inspired by Mother Chiara Farfalla, then Abbess of the monastery.
The museum's narrative
The room, covering approximately 60 square metres, was taken from the ancient church of Santa Maria in Castello (St Mary in the Castle), and was later incorporated into the 17th-century building. It houses 21 display cases organised around seven themes: prayer, silence, discipline, sewing, pharmacy, kitchen, and labour. Projections onto the room’s vaults create the image of grates wrapping around the space, instantly evoking a sense of seclusion. Rather than a mere historical reconstruction, the museum acts as a narrative device. The only visible element from the original church is a 15th-century fresco depicting the Madonna della Misericordia (Our Lady of Mercy).
Visiting the museum
A visit to the museum can be combined with a tour of the monastery; the nuns themselves accompany visitors through the internal spaces. The charm of the historical setting is enriched by the firsthand accounts of the sisters who continue to live in the monastery today.
