Montecassino (September 20)

On our way home from Terracina, we stopped in Cassino, a town in the province of Latina, Italy (south of Rome).  The "big ticket item" is the Abbey of Montecassino, founded by Saint Benedict in 529.  The picture to the right was taken right outside the front gates of the abbey.

Over the years, the abbey was destroyed several times, ranging from church/state opposition in the 8th and 9th centuries, an earthquake in the 14th centurty, to World War II, where it was between the firing lines between Germany and the allies in 1944.  Each time, the abbey was restored, never losing sight of its original intentions by its founder, St. Benedict.

We had a fantastic guide, Maria Theresa, who offered us views of the newer, rebuilt parts of the abbey, as well as this picture (see right), which shows the only part of the abbey that sustained fire during World War II.  While many perished in the bombing, many were saved in the small area in the bottom floor of the monastery.

Left:  Once the temple for Apollo, St. Benedict made the cloister of the abbey a place of prayer for the monks at the time.  Our guide, Maria Theresa, told us that at one time, there were hundreds of monks who called the abbey their home, serving God through silence and prayer.  At present time, there are but 18 monks who keep the abbey operational.

 Statues of St. Benedict and his twin sister, St. Scolastica, lay in a second cloister, called Bramante, built in the Renaissance period (1595).  While WWII turned the abbey into rubble, the statue of St. Benedict remained virtually untouched. The statue of St. Scolastica was destroyed, so what you see is a replica.  At the base of each statue, there are inscriptions.  Benedict's reads, "Blessed be he who came in the name of the Lord," while Scolastica's reads, "Come my dove, come, and you will be crowned."

Right:  The Bramante Cloister.  At one end  there are breath-taking views of the small villages in the Liri Valley below.  At the other end, where this picture is taken, leads you up a long majestic staircase to a third cloister, which serves as the entryway to the Basilica Cathedral.  The picture at the left shows one of three sets of iron doors that open to the main sanctuary of the cathedral.  The lower panel of the door between the two crosses is certified to have been made in Constantinople in 1066. Wow!

As you can imagine, the inside of the cathedral was utterly amazing.  Large and very ornate, the sanctuary offered a solemn atmosphere for the many visitors who came to marvel it and worship.

As a bonus, we happened to enter the cathedral just minutes before the monks began their mid-afternoon Gregorian chants.  Amazing!

Afterwards, we headed back to our buses at the base of the abbey and there we returned to Viterbo.  This was the end of our 3-day retreat.  And while it was enriching in many ways, I think we were all ready to have a day of R-and-R back in Viterbo before returning to the classroom.

Can't wait for the next big one of these, which will be happening in November.  Stay tuned!