The cradle of Benedictine monasticism, rebuilt after the war
On top of a mountain over 500 metres high, dominating the town of Cassino and the Liri valley, St Benedict of Nursia founded around 529 the abbey of Montecassino, where he wrote his famous Rule, which shaped Western monasticism. For centuries the abbey was one of the great centres of culture in Europe, preserving and copying ancient manuscripts.
Its history is also one of destruction and rebirth: it was destroyed by the Lombards, the Saracens, an earthquake, and finally, on 15 February 1944, by the Allied bombing during the battle of Cassino. Rebuilt "where it was and as it was", it was reconsecrated in 1964. Today you can visit the cloisters, the baroque basilica with the tomb of St Benedict and St Scholastica, and the museum. Below the mountain lie the military cemeteries of the battle, including the Polish one.
Tip: the road up to the abbey has many hairpin bends; modest clothing is required. The view over the valley from the cloister of the Benefactors is spectacular.
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