Secondary sourcePainting

Saint Benedict Presenting His Monastic Regulations to Padre Rogiero di Barletta

An engraving showing Benedict handing his monastic Rule to a kneeling monk, held by the Library of Congress.

Depicts Benedict as the lawgiver handing on his Rule, the central image of his legacy as founder of monasticism.

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Black-and-white scan of a woodcut title page with architectural columns and a pediment. Central scene: a bearded saint with halo and crozier, holding a book and raising a hand, while a kneeling monk in a hooded robe faces him. Italian title text above, verse below, and a decorative cartouche with a cross and cherubs at the bottom. — Saint Benedict Presenting His Monastic Regulations to Padre Rogiero di Barletta, engraving. Library of Congress.

About this source

What it is

This is an engraved print held by the Library of Congress. It shows Benedict, shown with a halo and crozier, presenting his monastic regulations to a kneeling monk named Padre Rogiero di Barletta. An Italian title and verse appear on the print.

Why it matters

The image centers on Benedict's most lasting legacy: his Rule, the written guide for monastic life that shaped Christian monasticism for centuries. Showing him handing it directly to a kneeling monk presents Benedict as a lawgiver whose authority continued to be honoured long after his death.

Look closer

Why might the artist have chosen to show the Rule being physically handed over rather than just described in text?
What does the kneeling pose of the monk suggest about how authority within monastic life was understood?
What title and decorative details frame the scene, and what do they suggest about who this print was made for?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saint Benedict on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Open pages of a medieval Latin manuscript on aged parchment, with handwritten black text in columns, red initials and rubrics, and a large decorated illuminated initial on the left page. The text appears to be a copy of a monastic rule.

Book

Primary source

Rule of Saint Benedict

Benedict of Nursia · c. 600

A large monastery complex with a central dome and bell tower sits on top of a wooded hill under a clear blue sky. Dense green trees cover the hillside below the long pale building.

Artifact

Secondary source

Monte Cassino

founded c. 529/530

Detail of a faded fresco showing a hooded, bald monk in a cream-colored robe seated at a white-draped table, holding a small cup. To the left, a woman in a blue blouse and orange skirt pours from a jug. Behind the table, a young man in green holds a tray, and another figure stands in a dark red robe. At the right edge, an older seated man in a light robe is partly visible.

Painting

Secondary source

Fresco Cycle of the Life of St Benedict at Monte Oliveto Maggiore

Luca Signorelli and Sodoma · 1497-1505 (fresco cycle); abbey founded 1313

A dim, orange-lit chamber shows a large metal reliquary chest with three decorative hinged straps and studded ornamental fittings, set on a stone plinth. A brass plaque reads 'RELIQUES DE SAINT BENOIT 480-547'.

Artifact

Secondary source

Reliquary of Saint Benedict at Fleury

A large, wrinkled parchment spread out on a dark background, with faded reddish and brown ink lines forming architectural plans of buildings, rooms, and circular features. Some handwritten text is visible at the lower left edge.

Artifact

Secondary source

Plan of Saint Gall

c. 820-830

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