Sassovivo Abbey
Encyclopedia
The Abbey of Sassovivo is a Benedictine
monastery in Umbria
in central Italy
. Administratively, it is a frazione
of the comune
of Foligno
.
wood, 6 km from Foligno. Located at an altitude of 565 m on a rocky spur at the foot of Mount Serrone, it overlooks the Valle Umbra.
as sanctuary.
The abbey soon increased its power and prestige thanks to numerous donations. In 1138 its possession extended from Rome
(the basilica of Santi Quattro Coronati
) to Perugia
, Spoleto
and Camerino
. In the following centuries it had 97 monasteries, 41 churches and 7 hospitals. In the late 15th century the abbey passed to the Olivetan Benedictines.
The abbey started to decay from the 15th century. In the course of the Napoleonic Wars
, it was partially closed and in 1860, after the fall of the Papal States
, its dependencies were divided between the Italian state, the local bishopric and privates.
Today, part of the Abbey belongs to the Diocese of Foligno, another part to the State and the third part to a private family.
Some parts have been used by the seminarists of Foligno in the summer months. Between 1951 and 1957 the monastery was inhabited by a group of Benedictine Monks taking refuge here after exile from the communist regime in Prague.
In 1979, the Bishop of Foligno entrusted the Abbey to the Community of “Little Brothers of Jesus Caritas of Father Charles de Foucauld” who are still living there to this day.
In the 1970s-1990s a substantial program of restoration was carried on. The church is still under restoration after having been damaged by an earthquake in 1997.
Recently, the relics of St. Maron were stolen from the abbey.
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...
monastery in Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
in central Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Administratively, it is a frazione
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
of the comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of Foligno
Foligno
Foligno is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clitunno river system...
.
Geography
The abbey lies in an ancient oakHolm Oak
Quercus ilex, the Holm Oak or Holly Oak is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It takes its name from holm, an ancient name for holly...
wood, 6 km from Foligno. Located at an altitude of 565 m on a rocky spur at the foot of Mount Serrone, it overlooks the Valle Umbra.
History
The abbey was founded by the Benedictines around 1070, probably by one Mainhard coming from Santa Maria di Sitria. The abbey was based on an existing castle of the Monaldi family, on a site probably used in ancient times by the UmbriUmbri
The Umbri were an Italic people of ancient Italy. A region called Umbria still exists and is currently occupied by Italian speakers. It is somewhat smaller than the ancient Umbria....
as sanctuary.
The abbey soon increased its power and prestige thanks to numerous donations. In 1138 its possession extended from Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
(the basilica of Santi Quattro Coronati
Santi Quattro Coronati
Santi Quattro Coronati is an ancient basilica in Rome, Italy. The church dates back to the 4th century, and is devoted to four anonymous saints and martyrs. The complex of the basilica with its two courtyards, the fortified Cardinal Palace with the St...
) to Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
, Spoleto
Spoleto
Spoleto is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is S. of Trevi, N. of Terni, SE of Perugia; SE of Florence; and N of Rome.-History:...
and Camerino
Camerino
Camerino is a small town of 7.135 inhabitants in the Marches , in the province of Macerata, Italy. It is located in the Apennines bordering Umbria, between the valleys of the rivers Potenza and Chienti, about 40 miles from Ancona....
. In the following centuries it had 97 monasteries, 41 churches and 7 hospitals. In the late 15th century the abbey passed to the Olivetan Benedictines.
The abbey started to decay from the 15th century. In the course of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, it was partially closed and in 1860, after the fall of the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
, its dependencies were divided between the Italian state, the local bishopric and privates.
Today, part of the Abbey belongs to the Diocese of Foligno, another part to the State and the third part to a private family.
Some parts have been used by the seminarists of Foligno in the summer months. Between 1951 and 1957 the monastery was inhabited by a group of Benedictine Monks taking refuge here after exile from the communist regime in Prague.
In 1979, the Bishop of Foligno entrusted the Abbey to the Community of “Little Brothers of Jesus Caritas of Father Charles de Foucauld” who are still living there to this day.
In the 1970s-1990s a substantial program of restoration was carried on. The church is still under restoration after having been damaged by an earthquake in 1997.
Recently, the relics of St. Maron were stolen from the abbey.
Architecture
Points of interest include:- the Romanesque cloisterCloisterA cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
(1229), commissioned by abbot Angelo and executed by the Roman stonemason Pietro de Maria. it has a rectangular plan with 58 arcades supported by a double order of 128 small helicoidal columns with capitals having lily decorations and mosaic tassels. In 1340 a large central cistern was added, followed by a pit in 1623. The cloister is also home to a fresco depicting the Virgin Enthroned with Child (14th century). - The monastery, with a fresco of the Last Supper (1595) and the 13th century dormitories.
- LoggiaLoggiaLoggia is the name given to an architectural feature, originally of Minoan design. They are often a gallery or corridor at ground level, sometimes higher, on the facade of a building and open to the air on one side, where it is supported by columns or pierced openings in the wall...
del Paradiso, with fragments of 15th century frescoes. - Crypt of the Blessed Alano (11th century), a remain of Santa Maria in Valle, the first nucleus of the Sassovivo Abbey.
- Passeggiata dell'Abate ("Abbot's Walk"), a path within woods of oaks, juniperJuniperJunipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
s and Aleppo pineAleppo PinePinus halepensis, commonly known as the Aleppo Pine, is a pine native to the Mediterranean region. Their range extends from Morocco and Spain north to southern France, Italy and Croatia, and east to Greece and northern Tunisia, and Libya, with an outlying population in Syria, Lebanon, southern...
s.