Pictures of Sant' Onofrio Cloister

Saint Onofrio cloister, on the Janiculum Hill, dates from the 15th century. Frescoes with scenes from the life of the hermit Onofrio are in lunettes under the arches.

Renaissance Poet Torquato Tasso lived in the monastery and died there on April 25, 1595, just before he was to be crowned with laurels. His elaborate tomb is in a chapel at the monastery.

The Tasso Museum, Museo Tassiano, inside the monastery has manuscripts and editions of his work. Nearby is a summer theater, Teatro Alla Quercia del Tasso, by an oak tree where Tasso often wrote or rested.

The monastery is home to the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. The church and cloister can be visited Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 AM to 12:30 PM. Please offer a donation in the slot.

Here's more about these Threads of Roman History. Photos © SecretGardensItaly