Amatus of Montecassino
Encyclopedia
Amatus of Montecassino a Benedictine
monk at the Abbey of Montecassino is one of three Italo-Norman
chronicle
rs, the others being William of Apulia
and Goffredo Malaterra
. His History of the Normans (L'Ystoire de li Normant) in eight books, originally written in Latin ca 1080, but preserved only in a later Old French
version, is a prime source for retrieving the history of the Normans in the Mediterranean, as seen from the perspective of the great Abbey, which was one of the most important cultural and religious centers of 11th-century Christendom. Amatus describes the Norman sieges of Bari
and Salerno
, the conquest of Sicily, and the career of Robert Guiscard
, as well as the Gregorian Reform
s seen from the papal point-of-view, interspersed with reports of miracles and prophecies.
Many details of 11th-century history, such as the arrow in the eye that killed Harold at the battle of Hastings
, owe their origin to the chronicler of Montecassino.
The historical novel by Gabriella Brooke, The Words of Bernfrieda: A Chronicle of Hauteville (Cheney: Eastern Washington University Press, 1999) tells of the lady Fredesenda of Hauteville, mother of Robert Guiscard
, as seen by her handmaid, who has met Amatus and intends to record "all that Amatus' chronicle will leave out".
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monk at the Abbey of Montecassino is one of three Italo-Norman
Italo-Norman
The Italo-Normans, or Siculo-Normans when referring to Sicily, were the Italian-born descendants of the first Norman conquerors to travel to the southern Italy in the first half of the eleventh century...
chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
rs, the others being William of Apulia
William of Apulia
William of Apulia was a chronicler of the Normans, writing in the 1090s. His Latin epic, Gesta Roberti Wiscardi , written in hexameters, is one of the principal contemporary sources for the Norman conquest of southern Italy, especially the career of Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia . It was composed...
and Goffredo Malaterra
Goffredo Malaterra
Gaufredo Malaterra was an eleventh century Benedictine monk and historian, possibly of Norman origin. He travelled to the southern Italian peninsula, passing some time in Apulia before entering the monastery of Sant'Agata at Catania, on the isle of Sicily...
. His History of the Normans (L'Ystoire de li Normant) in eight books, originally written in Latin ca 1080, but preserved only in a later Old French
Old French
Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
version, is a prime source for retrieving the history of the Normans in the Mediterranean, as seen from the perspective of the great Abbey, which was one of the most important cultural and religious centers of 11th-century Christendom. Amatus describes the Norman sieges of Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
and Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
, the conquest of Sicily, and the career of Robert Guiscard
Robert Guiscard
Robert d'Hauteville, known as Guiscard, Duke of Apulia and Calabria, from Latin Viscardus and Old French Viscart, often rendered the Resourceful, the Cunning, the Wily, the Fox, or the Weasel was a Norman adventurer conspicuous in the conquest of southern Italy and Sicily...
, as well as the Gregorian Reform
Gregorian Reform
The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, circa 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy...
s seen from the papal point-of-view, interspersed with reports of miracles and prophecies.
Many details of 11th-century history, such as the arrow in the eye that killed Harold at the battle of Hastings
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
, owe their origin to the chronicler of Montecassino.
The historical novel by Gabriella Brooke, The Words of Bernfrieda: A Chronicle of Hauteville (Cheney: Eastern Washington University Press, 1999) tells of the lady Fredesenda of Hauteville, mother of Robert Guiscard
Robert Guiscard
Robert d'Hauteville, known as Guiscard, Duke of Apulia and Calabria, from Latin Viscardus and Old French Viscart, often rendered the Resourceful, the Cunning, the Wily, the Fox, or the Weasel was a Norman adventurer conspicuous in the conquest of southern Italy and Sicily...
, as seen by her handmaid, who has met Amatus and intends to record "all that Amatus' chronicle will leave out".