IN

Montecassino e Terracina. Presenza benedettina e assetti politico-religiosi nella città tra VI e XII secolo

Autore: Clemente Ciammaruconi
In: I libri di Viella. Arte.
Abstract

The connection between Montecassino Abbey and the town of Terracina is documented in the Dialogi by Gregorio Magno, in which Saint Benedict is said to have created a monastery northeast of the town, which came to be known as S. Stefano de montanis. After being abandoned and neglected, this settlement was recovered during the second half of the 10th century by the Montecassino monks who keeping in mind their founder St Benedict, succeeded in exerting a little leverage on the Pope so as to play an important role in an area of ever-growing strategic relevance, situated as it was between the Patrimonium beati Petri and the Dukedom of Gaeta. The interest Montecassino started to display for the town of Terracina grew considerably and reached its climax during the 11th century when Alexander II entrusted the town to the abbot Desiderio while the Bishop’s throne was continually bestowed to monks who came from the Benedictine Abbey. This choice strengthened the political role of the city as it made it an influential and powerful element in favour of the reforming papacy, as proved by the election of Pope Urban II which took place on 12th March 1088 in the Cathedral of S. Cesareo, renovated not long before.