B.B.B.

St. Benedict of Norcia, Saint Patron of Europe
(Norcia, circa 480 A.D. Monastery of Montecassino, circa 547 A.D.)
Click the link to check about hospitality, the Monastery is
located in 03043 Cassino (Frosinone, Lazio)

If the motto of St. Francis of Assisi was "Pax et Bonum" (tr.Peace and Good), the motto of St. Benedict was "Ora et Labora" (tr. Pray and Work). St. Benedict was originally from the town of Norcia, located in the Umbria region as well as Assisi. St. Benedict is the Saint Patron of Europe, he is considered the father of the European civilization and celebrated every year on July 11th.

His revolutionary rule was a way of life between oriental and western Irish Monachism. St. Benedict's notions such as: use of time, respect of each other, team work, cooperation, welcoming, prayer, patience have inspired scholars of management studies in Italy and abroad as St. Benedict is referred as the major entrepreneur of the first Italian multinational company in Europe.

"Work and the Rule"
Benedictine spirituality
as a founding element of
perfect business management.

 "Perfect Management"
A book about perfect  business models
inspired by Saint Benedict of Norcia.

In times of darkness St. Benedict managed to preserve Europe's cultural heritage by studying and copying ancient books in the so called "scriptoria" (tr.writing rooms), which in return were the only heated places in monasteries. But St. Benedict's contribution to Italian and European culture is not restricted to this endeavor only. The Benedictines founded schools, helped artisans, hosted homeless people, offered their knowledge in the field of medicine, they established models for agriculture. 

In this regard, I remember reading this writing in the botanical garden of the benedictine Church of Saint Peter in Perugia: "Si tibi deficiunt medici, medici tibi fiant haec tria: mens laeta, requies, moderata diaeta" (tr. if you do not have doctors available, take these three things as your doctors: a joyful heart, rest and a simple diet).  

Much wisdom comes from ancient traditions and I am praying St. Benedict to help me find the perfect management at Cama's reviving the spirit of Cama's as a workers cooperative in the new millennium. 

Assisi and Norcia are located in the region of Umbria, known as "green heart of Italy", the region of the Umbrians,
a population going back to the second millennium B.C., a land of Saints, beautiful Churches and Monasteries.
(credit for the map goes to "Condé Nast Traveller", May 2012  issue, the red highlights are mine)

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- Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

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