'Monaco is one who looks only to God, desires only God, dedicates himself only to God, chooses to serve only God and, living in peace with God, becomes the author of peace for others.' -Teodoro Studita- The Abbey of Praglia was built at the foot of the Euganean Hills about 12 kilometers from Padua along the ancient road that led to Este. The Abbey, founded in the years between the eleventh and twelfth centuries, remained until 1304 a dependency of the Abbey of San Benedetto in Polirone in Mantua. Only with the beginning of the fourteenth century the community of Praglia, consolidated and rooted more firmly in the Paduan environment, became completely autonomous by electing an Abbot taken from the ranks of its monks. The Benedictine Community of Praglia has a total of 44 members of which 42 solemnly professed and 2 temporary professed. Most of the monks live permanently in Praglia while 10 of them live in the three dependent houses (San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Monte della Madonna di Teolo, Sadhu Benedict Math in Bangladesh), 2 serve at the General Curia of the Sublacense-Cassinese Congregation in Rome and 1 is professor of theology at the Athenaeum of Sant'Anselmo in Rome. In addition to the daily fraternal service and stable commitment in the various areas of life of the monastery, the monks in Praglia deal with some specific work activities: in the Restoration of the ancient book, in the Cosmetics 'Apis Euganea', in the Herbal Medicine 'Pratalea', in beekeeping, in the cultivation of the vineyard and in the cellar, in the publication of works of a monastic and spiritual nature with the series "Monastic Writings". During the school year it is possible to book guided tours of the Abbey of Praglia. The visits, always led by a monk, are aimed at school-age children and are carried out exclusively in the morning of weekdays (from Tuesday to Friday) at 9:30 am and 11:00 am. Groups can be formed by one or more classes and must not exceed the number of 50 children. The products of the Abbey of Praglia (which can also be purchased online through the website): Honey: Honey, with high nourishing and emollient power, wax, which performs a protective action on the skin, pollen, emollient and revitalizing, propolis, whose antiseptic activity is known, gifts of industriousness and generosity of bees, which come from the numerous hives cared for by the monks themselves, are the basis of the formulations of the products of the Apis Euganea line. Cosmetics: Based on archival documents of the ancient apothecary of the monastery, recipes expertly reformulated and reworked, the monks of Praglia, in their equipped laboratory, prepare creams and products based exclusively naturally, using medicinal herbs and products from the hive, thus continuing an ancient tradition. Herbal teas and infusions: Herbal mixtures are suitable for the preparation of infusions or decoctions and can be used as adjuvants in the treatment of various symptoms. Herbal teas should be taken with caution; in case of uncertainty consult a doctor or competent person in advance. Capsules: From the furrow of tradition in the knowledge of medicinal plants, wisely mixed in the herbal teas of the Abbey of Praglia, phytotherapeutic capsules are born, which want to meet the needs of those who do not have the necessary time or constancy to make an herbal tea. Wines. Books: Monastic Writings is a series that, with a wide historical-geographical scope, intends to recover to contemporary culture more or less distant experiences, which constitute an essential heritage of conscience. Even from the distance of the times and spaces from which they come, each of these experiences is able to respond to the most lively instance of the world in which we live: that of anchoring collective and individual experiences to perennial principles and values.