THE AUGUSTINIAN MONASTERY THE AUGUSTINIAN MONASTERY “SANTI QUATTRO CORONATI”“SANTI QUATTRO CORONATI”

Founded during World War II, it was very important because it was a safe place in the centre of Rome that people used as a shelter in World war II.

During bomb attacks, when the alarm rang, people used to go to the shelter where they prayed and waited for the end of the danger.

The monastery hosted politicians, deserters, whole Hebrew families with grandparents and children. T

The pope Pio XII allowed them to live there, protecting, hiding, feeding and saving them from deportation and death.

There was a high risk the refugees could be found, so both men and women used to dress up as monks and to work in the garden, like real monks

Once two SS officers went over but the nuns struggled in defense of the monastery and the cloister was not violated.

The nuns had to keep safe lots of objects such as cars, bikes, horses, lorries and cows.

It’s right there, in the middle of the war, that people started again to live.