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The Hermitage of St Chelidonia in Subiaco: massive walls, Gothic arches, and a chapel carved into the rock
The Hermitage of Santa Chelidonia is located in Subiaco, at the base of Morra Ferogna, hidden away in a silent forest. You can reach it by hiking along CAI trail 671b. While walking through the trees, heavy walls suddenly appear, along with large Gothic arches and a chapel carved into the rock. Everything here brings a deep sense of peace.
Who was the "Little Swallow"?
St Chelidonia was a noble, educated woman who chose the quiet of nature over the sheltered life of the convent. Her name, from the Greek chélidon, means "little swallow" — and that's what people called her. She lived in these woods for nearly sixty years. She did not hold back what she thought about the wealthy warrior-abbots of Subiaco, however they respected the choices she had made. In 1061, ten years after her death, Abbot Simone saw her wishes fulfilled, having a monastery built right where she had lived.
A place that was already a sacred site
Even before the monastery and Chelidonia, the ancients worshipped Feronia here, a deity who protected the woods and the waters. Then came the hermitage, with its chapel carved into the rock and its Gothic arches. From above, the view opens out onto the valley below and the mountain ranges fading into the horizon.
