Saint Benedict (c. 480–543) is regarded as the founder of western monasticism. Born at Nursia to a Roman noble family, he was educated in Rome but soon abandoned secular life in pursuit of spiritual discipline. He spent several years living as a hermit in a cave near Subiaco, where his reputation for holiness gradually attracted followers.

Benedict later organised monastic communities governed by what became known as the Rule of Saint Benedict. Comprising seventy-three short chapters, the Rule sets out a balanced framework for communal religious life, combining prayer, work, obedience, and stability. Unlike earlier ascetic traditions that emphasised solitary withdrawal, Benedict’s Rule offered a practical model for living the Gospel within an ordered community, and it became the foundation of monastic life throughout medieval Europe.