26. Florence’s envy

The reputation for Benedict’s holiness and the praise he received awakened the envy of Florence, a priest who lived near his monastery. Little by little, that envy grew to such an extent that Benedict’s presence became unbearable to him.

Gregory the Great tells us that Florence tried to attack Benedict and his community in two ways.

First, he sent him a poisoned loaf of bread.

Benedict discovered the deception and called a crow that used to visit him every day to eat a piece of bread from his hands. He ordered it to take the poisoned bread and throw it somewhere in the forest where no one could find it.

Look at the lower right-hand part of the painting. There you will see this little black raven. Now you know why this bird often appears in representations of Saint Benedict.

When he saw that his first attempt had failed, Florence did not give up. He prepared a second attack, this time aimed at the whole community. He sent seven young women to dance naked in front of the Monastery, intending to tempt the monks and disturb their communal life.

Benedict then realises that the atmosphere around him has become too hostile. And he makes a surprising decision: he does not confront Florence. He leaves.

Now look at the painting, because the artist has chosen to depict precisely the moment of his departure.

At the bottom, we see Benedict, with his hand cane, leaving this place and setting out on the road that will take him to Monte Cassino.

And while Benedict is leaving, a tragedy occurs.

Florence, delighted that he had finally got rid of him, was standing on the terrace of his house when, suddenly, the structure collapsed and Florence was killed beneath the rubble.

Look at the upper left-hand part of the painting. The artist tells the story almost like a comic strip: among the remains of the collapsing building, you can see the dark figure of Florence falling down into the void.

Now look back at Benedict. To his left, a monk comes running towards him and points to what has just happened. He has come to tell him that his enemy is dead.

We might expect Benedict to be pleased. But exactly the opposite happens.

Gregory the Great tells us that Benedict was deeply saddened by Florence’s tragic end, and that he was displeased that the monk rejoiced at the death of his enemy.

But despite this change of circumstances, Benedict does not turn back. He continues his journey to Monte Cassino, where he will found one of the most famous monasteries in all of Europe.