Beer-Brewing Monks Are Helping Rebuild Earthquake-Devastated Town In Italy
The Benedictine monks of Norcia are known for their chart-topping album of Gregorian chants — and their beer. They're donating proceeds to rebuilding efforts, and helping the Umbrian town recover.
Large sections of Norcia's ancient walls lie in rubble. Its many centuries-old buildings are wrapped in steel girders, off-limits to the few people who visit what now looks like a ghost town.
Located near Perugia in Italy's Umbria region, Norcia was the birthplace — in the year 480 — of St. Benedict, the founder of Western monasticism and patron saint of Europe. It was one of several Italian towns devastated last year by a series of earthquakes that claimed some 300 lives.
The town's grandiose 13th century
