In the fifteenth century, according to tradition by Saint Bernardino of Siena, the convent was built (modest and bare spaces in keeping with the purest Franciscan ideals) on the remains of a previous Benedictine monastery, of which a small oratory dedicated to Saint Sylvester still remains: the conventual nucleus is located slightly downhill from the cave, on a ledge below the rocky spur where the ‘Speco’ opens.
In the sixteenth century, during expansion work on the convent, a small single-nave church with a gabled roof and a simple circular window on the facade was erected next to it.
**Epiphany:** The most well-known tradition associated with the Sanctuary of the Sacro Speco tells that during one of the moments of most acute physical suffering endured by Francis, after praying intensely for comfort and relief, he was visited in this place by an Angel. The creature of God is said to have descended from heaven playing a viola until it alighted on a rocky spur in front of the cave to alleviate the sufferings of the Seraphic Father.
**Place:** Cave, Tree
**Collection of ex-votos:** No
Early Franciscan historiography records that Saint Francis first retreated to pray at the cave of Sant’Urbano in 1213. The site had previously housed a Benedictine hermitage: this pre-Franciscan phase is attested by the existence of a small chapel (a tiny oratory) dedicated to Saint Sylvester, which is the oldest building in the entire convent complex. The first architectural structure due to the Franciscan presence, however, is the actual ‘sanctuary’: a small cell and a tiny 13th-century church, built by the first companions of the Seraphic Father. The place hosted some of the most zealous followers of the early reform, such as Blessed Pietro da Rieti, who lived and died in the convent with a reputation for great holiness. In 1523, the Speco was among the first convents to join the Reformation.
From the second half of the 19th century onward, some unfortunate events disrupted the tranquil life of the Sant’Urbano convent, where until then a large and exemplary Franciscan community had lived without interruption. In 1866, the convent managed to survive the post-unification suppression: shortly after being closed, it was redeemed and continued to host a reduced community of friars for a few more years. In 1890, the Sacro Speco was the scene of a heinous crime: during the absence of some of the convent’s religious, the three friars remaining at the Speco were slaughtered by unknown assailants during a meal in the refectory. A few decades later, in 1911, the Sanctuary was completely abandoned, and its ancient furnishings were widely looted. Only in 1943, thanks to the efforts of a friar, Father Placido, the religious complex of the Speco was restored and reopened for worship.
In 1943, the Provincial Minister Bonaventura Marrani entrusted the care of the site to a devoted friar not from the diocese of Narni, Father Placido, who worked to revive its devotion, restoring traditional festivals and illustrating the Franciscan memories of the place to pilgrims.
In 1911, following the division between the Province of Santa Maria degli Angeli and Santa Chiara, the few friars who lived in the Sant’Urbano convent were recalled to more important locations. Most of the sacred furnishings and artifacts were sold, dispersed, or moved to the nearby convent of Stroncone. The convent and the adjacent woods with the sanctuary were leased to private individuals and fell into a state of semi-abandonment.
The site has always been entrusted to the care of the Franciscan friars, except for a brief period from 1911 to 1943 when the convent was abandoned and leased to private parties.
Via del Campanile, 13, 05035 Narni TR, Italy
