The oldest sanctuary in the Tolfa Hills is about 2 km from the town in a quiet and serene place. Tradition has it that St. Augustine stayed here when he dictated his second Rule and began to write “De Trinitate”.
Perhaps built in medieval times, the building has undergone adaptations that make it impossible to recognise the original structure. The oldest document that mentions the hermitage is a 1243 Bull from Pope Innocent IV, and other, undocumented sources date it to the beginning of the 9th century.
The sanctuary survived until 1656 when it was suppressed by Pope Alexander VII, however it continued to be inhabited by a hermit.
It was restructured at the time when alum was discovered in the area and abandoned once again when the last monk to live there, Fra' Giuseppe Beretta, died, in 1818.
Restoration work was completed in 2002 and the Hermitage is now open to the public and once again managed by monks.
 
 

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