Montecassino Abbey

Benedict founded this on the hilltop around 529 and wrote his Rule here, the text that shaped monastic life across the West. The abbey has been destroyed four times: by the Lombards around 570, by Arabs in 883, by an earthquake in 1349, and by bombing in 1944, when it was reduced to rubble during the battle for the Gustav Line. Each time it was rebuilt, and the postwar reconstruction followed the baroque plans exactly, so what stands is a faithful copy. Benedict's tomb survived beneath the altar. A Polish war cemetery lies on the slope below, holding the soldiers who took the ridge in May 1944.

History

The site was first settled in the 5th century BC by the Volsci, who built a citadel on the summit. The first monastery here was sacked by the Lombards around 570 and abandoned, and a second was established by Petronax of Brescia around 718 (Wikipedia, Monte Cassino).

What you'll find

• The rebuilt abbey - a faithful copy of the baroque church destroyed in 1944.
• Benedict's tomb - beneath the high altar, survived the bombing.
• The cloisters - terraced courts looking far down the Liri valley.
• The Polish cemetery - graves on the slope below the abbey.

When to go

April to October; the hill road is long and winding and can close in bad weather. The abbey closes at midday for a period. Dress code applies.

Practical notes

Almost everything is postwar reconstruction, not original fabric. Access is by a steep switchback road with no easy public transport. The museum keeps short hours.

Nearby

Cassino town lies below; the Liri valley runs north.