Italy in Photos

Via Montecassino, 03043 Cassino, Italy (August 2018)

Montecassino Abbey

Perched high on a rocky hill overlooking the town of Cassino in southern Italy, Montecasino Abbey (Abbazia di Montecassino) is one of the most iconic monastic sites in the Christian world. Founded in 529 AD by Saint Benedict of Nursia, it is the birthplace of the Benedictine Order, whose guiding principle, “Ora et Labora“ (“Pray and Work”), helped shape monastic life across Europe. For nearly 1,500 years, the abbey has stood as a beacon of faith, scholarship, and resilience, though its history has been marked by destruction and rebirth. Today, the abbey, its museum, and the nearby Polish Military Field of Honour form a unique cultural and memorial complex, blending spiritual heritage with a poignant reminder of the cost of war. Saint Benedict chose Monte Cassino for its isolation and commanding view, transforming the ruins of a former pagan temple into a Christian monastery. Over the centuries, the abbey became a centre of learning and culture, with its scriptorium preserving and copying manuscripts that might otherwise have been lost to history. It also served as a hub for religious reform, political influence, and artistic patronage, attracting pilgrims and scholars from far and wide. Yet Montecasino has known hardship. It was sacked by the Lombards in 577, rebuilt in the 8th century, destroyed again by Saracens in 883, and later damaged by earthquakes. Each time, the abbey rose again, its survival reflecting the enduring spirit of the Benedictine community.

Perhaps the most devastating blow came in February 1944, during the Second World War’s Italian Campaign. Montecasino’s strategic position made it a formidable obstacle along the German Gustav Line, a defensive barrier halting the Allied advance toward Rome. Believing the abbey to be occupied by German forces, Allied aircraft bombed it heavily on 15 February 1944, reducing the centuries-old structure to rubble. Ironically, no German troops were inside the abbey at the time; they had occupied positions around it. In the wake of the bombing, the ruins were indeed fortified by German paratroopers, prolonging the battle. The Battle of Montecassino, fought in four major assaults between January and May 1944, was one of the fiercest in the Italian theatre. It involved troops from many nations, including Britain, the United States, France, New Zealand, India, and, most notably, Poland. The final assault in May, led by the Polish II Corps, succeeded in capturing the heights and securing the abbey ruins, but at tremendous cost in lives.

After the war, the abbey was painstakingly rebuilt “as it was, where it was,” following the Latin motto “Montecasino, destroyed by war, restored by the faith and labour of the world.” Completed in 1964, the reconstruction returned the abbey to its former architectural splendour, blending modern resilience with historical fidelity. Today, its grand courtyards, arcades, and basilica stand not only as a place of worship but also as a testament to the power of restoration after devastation.