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 did the community of Praglia, consolidated and rooted more firmly in the Paduan environment, become 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 whom 42 are solemnly professed and 2 are temporarily 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 Subiaco-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 the stable commitment in the various areas of life of the monastery, the monks in Praglia are involved in some specific work activities: in the restoration of the ancient book, in the 'Apis Euganea' cosmetics, in the 'Pratalea' herbalist's shop, 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 guided by a monk, are aimed at school-age children and take place exclusively on weekday mornings (Tuesday to Friday) at 9:30 and 11:00. Groups can be made up of one or more classes and must not exceed the number of 50 children. The products of the Abbey of Praglia: Honey: Honey, with a 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 the 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: On the basis of archival documents from the ancient monastery's apothecary, expertly reformulated and reworked recipes, the monks of Praglia, in their equipped laboratory, prepare creams and products with an exclusively natural base, using medicinal herbs and beehive products, 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 beforehand. Capsules: From the furrow of tradition in the knowledge of medicinal plants, wisely mixed in the herbal teas of the Abbey of Praglia, the 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 broad historical-geographical scope, intends to recover more or less distant experiences to contemporary culture, 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 demand of the world in which we live: that of anchoring collective and individual experiences to perennial principles and values.