Norcia
Norcia is the largest town or comune in the region of Umbria, in Italy. It lies in the Valnerina (the valley of the River Nera). It is best known as the birthplace of St. Benedict.
History
The town's history begins with settlement by the Sabines in the 5th century BC. It became an ally of ancient Rome in 205 BC, during the Second Punic War, when it was known in Latin as Nursia, but the earliest extant Roman ruins date from around the 1st century. St. Benedict, the father of the Benedictine order of monks, was born here in 480. The present basilica dedicated to St. Benedict was built in the 13th century, but may stand on the foundations of a Roman basilica. The town's wall survives intact from the 14th century. A papal fortress, the Castellina, was built in the 16th century.
See also
