The monastery in Monreale hosts live music events and offers tours to the public, which include a walk through its award-winning brewery
“They are truly monks if they live by the work of their own hands, as did our Fathers and the Apostles. However, everything must be done in moderation, out of consideration for the weak.” This is one of the first phrases to greet visitors in the Benedictine Abbey of San Martino delle Scale, a small hamlet of Monreale, in the province of Palermo, Sicily. The covered areas alone occupy 22,000 square meters, where a wide variety of activities are carried out in the service of the local community.
The Abbey
The Abbey is a vibrant cultural and social center located inland of Palermo, an island of tranquillity just beyond the city’s commotion. It is a meeting place for locals to participate in activities and events, including musical performances staged by the complex in a green setting where, especially in the evening, the heat of the city is tempered by a cool mountain breeze.
The abbey is also open to tourists, as well as those who choose to spend a few days in retreat to devote themselves to the monastery’s activities full-time. We are welcomed by Don Riccardo and Don Vittorio, whose monastic humility meets a note of pride as they guide us through the complex.
The Abbey of San Martino delle Scale, where they live, was almost certainly founded in the 14th century. Its foundation is mainly attributed to Don Angelo Sinisio, the first abbot of San Martino, who, in addition to his human and spiritual qualities, was able to organize life within the complex. He established the cultivation of fields and herbs for medicinal purposes, as well as a scriptorium for the reproduction of religious texts.
A surprisingly diverse world
Today, the Abbey is home to a library, a vegetable garden, restoration workshops (painting, textiles and paper), in addition to musical performances staged around the main cloister, one of seven. But there is also room for even more enjoyable activities. After all, it was Angelo Sinisio who first mentioned the existence of Sicilian cassata in writing, and today’s monks have not betrayed the preferences of their ancient predecessor. The monks’ culinary skills are also showcased in a television show, “Le ricette del convento” (“Recipes from the monastery”), broadcast on channel 33. (The show also led to the publication of a book). But the real surprise is the production of the only monastic beer in southern Italy.
After a walk through a few small museum rooms with beautiful ceilings and culinary and herbal instruments, we arrive at a small, cozy laboratory. The room is used for the production of two fantastic beers. One is dark, “for meditation,” and the other is blonde, “for company,” we are told. In this small space, the 15 members of the Hora Benedicta association, which aims to promote the activities of the Abbey, meet once a month from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to cook and taste the beers.
“Making beer,” Don Riccardo tells us, “is like a fire dance: you bring the water to the boil and then add the spices.” The process is accompanied by singing, but not without losing sight of the precision required for the process, with one of the members responsible for faithfully recording all the steps and ingredients so that the best productions can be replicated. The result of the experiments are two beers, a dark one called “Monastic Beer,” which began production in 2011, and a blonde one called “Blonda Ale.” The former was originally 11% ABV, then lowered to 8% for sales reasons, while the latter is 6% ABV. The dark beer, the association’s flagship product, immediately won an important national award and then a European one, which gave them the impetus to continue. Both can be purchased at the monastery or by contacting the association via email (info@horabenedicta.eu).
Early in the morning
After visiting the brewery, we go to the refectory, where the monks gather for meals. The first prayer takes place at 6:30 in the morning, breakfast is at 8:00. Paintings and frescoes adorn the room, and in the center is the pulpit, from which a monk reads during all meals, except on holidays.
The tour continues, and we are shown the halls, the ornate marble staircase and the church, which houses an organ dating back to 1500. At the end of the tour – which is open to visitors two Sundays a month or by reservation for groups of ten or more – we are accompanied to a small balcony that offers a wonderful view of the surrounding area, with the sea visible in the distance. When asked, Don Riccardo and Don Vittorio insist that they never drink beer with meals, but that they do enjoy a beer to accompany a moment of relaxation. With all the Abbey’s activities, one hopes that such moments are not too few and far between.