27. The demons flee from Montecassino

Saint Benedict leaves Subiaco and sets out on a new journey that takes him to the mountain of Monte Cassino. His arrival, however, caused a real commotion in the place.

Look at the great building that dominates the painting. It is a temple dedicated to the pagan god Apollo. In front of it stands a column that is beginning to break apart. An idol had once stood on top of it.

Now look at the left-hand side. There we see Benedict at the front of a group of monks coming with him to Monte Cassino. Notice how the artist portrays them: they do not enter by force. They are on their knees, praying.

And yet, all around them, it seems as though everything is beginning to tremble.

The column breaks. Cracks appear throughout the temple. And at the top of the painting, a multitude of demons with wings, horns and long tails flee hurriedly from the temple.

The painter has thus turned Benedict’s arrival into a true spiritual battle. But it is a remarkably silent one: while the demons are in turmoil, Benedict and his monks simply pray.

Look once again at the cracks in the temple. The painter seems to be telling us that this ancient world is beginning to collapse. The presence of the idol that had dominated the mountain gives way to a new presence.

But the demons do not leave in silence.

Pope Gregory explains that Benedict heard the demon repeatedly calling out to him:

“Benedict! Benedict!”

But the Saint paid no attention to him.

The demon then continued his attacks, saying:

“Cursed, not blessed! What have you against me?” For Benedict’s name, Benedictus, means precisely “blessed by God”, and the demon wanted the opposite.

Now look at the whole scene one last time. Above, the demons cry out and flee; the temple cracks and the ancient column falls. Below, however, Benedict remains serene, kneeling in prayer.

The artist seems to have concentrated all the strength of the scene here: evil makes a noise, rages and threatens; Benedict does not respond to evil. He simply prays.

And it is precisely here, in the place where evil was overcome, that Monte Cassino will begin to grow into a monastery becoming one of the great spiritual centres of the Benedictine tradition, with a profound impact across Europe.