It was enriched by popes, emperors and princes.  In its palmy days the abbot was the first baron in the realm, and commanded over four hundred towns and villages.  In 1866, it shared the fate of all the monasteries of Italy.  It still stands upon the summit of the mountain, and can be seen by the traveler from the railway in the valley.  At present it serves as a Catholic seminary with about two hundred students.  It contains a spacious church, richly ornamented with marble, mosaics and paintings.  It has also a famous library which, in spite of bad usage, is still immensely valuable.  Boccaccio made a visit to the place, and when he saw the precious books so vilely mutilated, he departed in tears, exclaiming:  “Now, therefore, O scholar, rack thy brains in the making of books!” The library contains about twenty thousand volumes, and about thirty-five thousand popes’ bulls, diplomas and charters.  There are also about a thousand manuscripts, some of which are of priceless value, as they date from the sixth century downward, and consist of ancient Bibles and important medieval literature.

Benedict survived the founding of this monastery fourteen years.  His time was occupied in establishing other cloisters, perfecting his rule, and preaching.  Many stories are related of his power over the hearts of the untamed barbarians.  Galea the Goth, out on a marauding expedition, demanded a peasant to give him his treasures.  The peasant, thinking to escape, said he had committed them to the keeping of Benedict.  Galea immediately ordered him to be bound on a horse and conducted to the saint.  Benedict was seated at the gateway reading when Galea and his prisoner arrived.  Looking up from his book he fastened his eyes upon the poor peasant, who was immediately loosed from his bonds.  The astonished Galea, awed by this miracle, fell at the feet of the abbot, and, instead of demanding gold, supplicated his blessing.  Once a boy was drowning, and, at the command of Benedict, St. Maur, a wealthy young Roman, who had turned monk, walked safely out upon the water and rescued the lad.  Gregory also tells us many stories of miraculous healing, and of one resurrection from the dead.

Benedict’s last days were linked with a touching incident.  His sister, Scholastica, presided over a convent near his own.  They met once a year.  On his last visit to her, Scholastica begged him to remain and “speak of the joys of Heaven till the morning.”  But Benedict would not listen; he must return.  His sister then buried her face in her hands weeping and praying.  Suddenly the sky was overcast with clouds, and a terrific storm burst upon the mountains, which prevented her brother’s return.  Three days later Benedict saw the soul of his sister entering heaven.  On March 21, 543, a short time after his sister’s death, two monks beheld a shining pathway of stars over which the soul of Benedict passed from Monte Cassino to heaven.  Such, in brief, is the story preserved for us in his biography by the celebrated patron of monasticism, Pope Gregory I.