Picturing the Founder. A New Reading of the Stories of St. Benedict in the Lower Church of Sacro Speco at Subiaco.

A comparative analysis of the frescoes depicting St. Benedict's life in the lower church of Sacro Speco at Subiaco reveals significant parallels with the Franciscan cycle in Assisi, suggesting a deliberate artistic and theological dialogue between traditional monasticism and the new mendicant orders post-Council of Lyons (1274). The study identifies stylistic similarities beyond those previously noted, proposing that these frescoes—one of the earliest large-scale cycles about St. Benedict—were strategically positioned to engage viewers along a pilgrimage route, reinforcing Subiaco's role as a counterpoint to Assisi's Franciscan narrative. The research employs iconographic and contextual analysis to argue for an intentional contrast between monastic and mendicant ideals during this pivotal period of religious reform.

Cerone, R. (2016). Picturing the Founder. A New Reading of the Stories of St. Benedict in the Lower Church of Sacro Speco at Subiaco. Actual Problems of Theory and History of Art, 6, 325–332. https://doi.org/10.18688/aa166-4-33