Chapter VII. How he entered the monastery of Cuxa and remained there for ten years.
Leaving the monastery of Saint Apollinare, Romuald, still burning with the desire for a more perfect life, journeyed to Spain. There, in the remote Pyrenees, he found the monastery of Cuxa, a place of severe discipline under the holy Abbot Guarin. Here, Romuald spent ten years, dedicating himself to intense prayer, rigorous fasting, and profound contemplation. He embraced the solitary life within the communal setting, often retiring to a small cell or a cave to spend days in silence and prayer, subsisting on meager rations. His fervor was such that he seemed to live more in heaven than on earth, his soul constantly lifted to God. He learned much from Abbot Guarin, a man of immense spiritual wisdom, and deepened his understanding of the eremitical tradition. Yet, even in this austere environment, Romuald's burning zeal for reform and his profound charity towards others would not allow him to remain entirely hidden. He became a beacon of spiritual intensity for the monks, inspiring many to greater devotion and stricter observance of their vows. His example, more than any words, preached the urgency of conversion and the pursuit of holiness.

Chapter VIII. How he returned to Italy and began to reform monasteries.
After ten years at Cuxa, Romuald felt a divine impulse to return to his native Italy. He had heard disturbing reports of widespread laxity and decline in monastic discipline throughout the peninsula. His heart, consumed with love for God and His Church, could not bear to remain in quiet contemplation while the monastic ideal, which he held so dear, was faltering. He returned to Italy around the year 1000, not seeking rest, but ready to embark on a tireless mission of reform. His method was not to establish new orders immediately, but to revitalize existing ones. He would enter monasteries, often those that had fallen into disrepair spiritually, and by his own example of fervent prayer, strict asceticism, and profound humility, he would inspire the monks to return to their original charism. His presence alone was often enough to shame the complacent and ignite a new fire in the hearts of the lukewarm. He preached not with eloquent words, but with a life that was a living sermon.

Chapter IX. How he reformed the monastery of Saint Michael of Passignano.
Among the many monasteries he visited, one notable example was Saint Michael of Passignano. Romuald found the community there living in a manner far removed from the Benedictine ideal. They were more concerned with worldly affairs and comfortable living than with spiritual exercises. Romuald, with his characteristic boldness and unwavering commitment to the Gospel, challenged them directly. He lived among them, observing all the rules with utmost rigor, and then some. He fasted almost continuously, slept little, and spent long hours in prayer, often weeping for the sins of the world and the lukewarmness of his brethren. His very presence was a rebuke to their laxity. Some monks, shamed by his example, began to follow his lead, embracing penance and renewed devotion. Others, however, resented his strictness and conspired against him, even attempting to poison him. Romuald, discerning their malice, miraculously escaped their plots, demonstrating his divine protection and the purity of his mission. Despite the opposition, his tireless efforts bore fruit, and the monastery slowly began to recover its spiritual vitality.

Chapter X. How he founded the monastery of Pereum.
Romuald's mission was not limited to reforming old monasteries; he also established new foundations that embodied his vision of a balanced monastic life, combining communal prayer with solitary contemplation. One such foundation was Pereum, near his native Ravenna. Here, he gathered a group of like-minded disciples who were eager to embrace a more rigorous form of monasticism. He designed the layout of the monastery to facilitate both cenobitic and eremitical practices, with individual cells for solitude arranged around a central church for communal worship. This innovative approach allowed monks to pursue intense personal prayer and silence while still benefiting from the fraternal support and liturgical life of a community. Pereum became a model for his future foundations, demonstrating the viability of his unique synthesis. Romuald's leadership was firm but always rooted in love and a deep understanding of human nature, guiding his monks with patience and wisdom, even as he demanded profound self-denial.

Chapter XI. How he influenced Emperor Otto III.
Romuald's reputation for sanctity and wisdom spread throughout Italy, reaching even the ears of Emperor Otto III, a young and devout ruler who harbored dreams of a renewed Holy Roman Empire. Otto, deeply impressed by Romuald's spiritual authority, sought his counsel and even offered to abdicate his throne to become a hermit under Romuald's guidance. Romuald, with his characteristic humility and discernment, dissuaded the emperor from such a drastic step, recognizing that Otto's role in the world was crucial for the good of the Church and society. Instead, Romuald encouraged Otto to use his imperial power to promote justice, protect the Church, and support monastic reform. Their relationship was one of mutual respect and spiritual guidance, with Romuald serving as a spiritual father to the powerful emperor. This interaction highlights Romuald's influence beyond the monastic enclosure, demonstrating his impact on the broader political and religious landscape of his time. He was not merely a monastic reformer but a spiritual guide for leaders, always pointing them towards God's will.

Chapter XII. His profound asceticism and love for solitude.
Throughout his life, Romuald maintained an extraordinary level of personal asceticism. He wore only the roughest of garments, often slept on the bare ground, and subjected himself to rigorous fasts, sometimes going for days with only bread and water. His diet was always meager, devoid of meat and wine, and he often mixed ashes with his food as a reminder of mortality and penance. Yet, his asceticism was never an end in itself, but a means to an end: a deeper union with God. He constantly sought solitude, believing that in silence and detachment from the world, the soul could truly hear the voice of God. He would often retreat to remote caves or isolated cells, spending weeks or months in uninterrupted contemplation, battling demons and experiencing profound spiritual consolations. This love for solitude and interior prayer was the wellspring of his spiritual power and the driving force behind his monastic reforms. He taught his disciples that true monastic life was an unceasing prayer of the heart, a constant turning towards the divine presence.

Chapter XIII. His teachings on tears and compunction.
One of Romuald's most distinctive teachings concerned the gift of tears and compunction of heart. He taught his monks that sorrow for sin, when genuine and infused with divine grace, could lead to profound spiritual purification and joy. He himself was often seen weeping during prayer, not out of despair, but from a profound awareness of God's mercy and his own unworthiness. He encouraged his disciples to cultivate this interior sorrow, to allow their hearts to be broken by the love of God, believing that such compunction would lead to true repentance and a deeper relationship with Christ. He recognized that outward penances were meaningless without an interior transformation, and that true spirituality began with a humble and contrite heart. His teachings on tears were not about morbid sadness, but about a liberating encounter with divine love that cleanses the soul.

Chapter XIV. His zeal for souls and missionary spirit.
Despite his profound love for solitude, Romuald also possessed an ardent zeal for the salvation of souls. He was not content to remain in his hermitage while others perished in sin. He would often emerge from his contemplative retreats to preach to the people, exhorting them to repentance and a life dedicated to God. He even harbored a desire to go as a missionary to the pagan lands of Hungary, a testament to his expansive charity and apostolic spirit. Although he was prevented from fulfilling this particular mission due to various obstacles, his willingness to leave his beloved solitude for the sake of evangelization demonstrates the breadth of his spiritual vision. He understood that true love for God naturally overflows into a love for one's neighbor and a desire for their salvation.

Chapter XV. His death and legacy.
After a life tirelessly dedicated to God, to monastic reform, and to the salvation of souls, Saint Romuald died peacefully in his cell at the monastery of Val di Castro on June 19, 1027. He had lived to a ripe old age, having spent more than seventy years in monastic life, leaving behind a profound legacy. His influence extended far beyond the monasteries he founded or reformed. He revitalized the eremitical tradition in Italy, demonstrating how the solitary pursuit of God could be integrated with communal monastic life. The Camaldolese Order, which he founded, became a vibrant expression of his unique charism, continuing to draw souls to God through prayer, silence, and work. Romuald is remembered as a true spiritual master, a man of God whose life was a testament to the transformative power of divine grace and the enduring appeal of radical commitment to Christ.