Fossanova Abbey

Daughter monasteries

Convent of Santo Stefano del Bosco Monastery Marmosoglio Monastery Ferraria Monastery of Corazzo Monastery of Santo Spirito di Zannone

Monastery Fossanova is a former Benedictine abbey, the Cistercians and later Carthusian monastery and today Franciscan convent in the municipality Priverno in the Italian region Lazio. The monastery is Italian national monument.

History

The abbey was founded no later than the ninth century by Benedictine monks. Pope Gregory IV ( 837-844 ) was previously a monk in Fossanova. The monastery was first to Salvatore and later to St. Pudentiana and then to SS. Stefan and Martin named.

The Counts of Aquino regarded as the founder of the monastery. However Fossanova is known primarily as a place of death of Thomas Aquinas, who died here on the journey to the Second Council of Lyon on March 7, 1274.

In 1135, the abbey joined the Cistercian Order and assumed the Abbey Hautecombe in Savoy from the filiation of primary Abbey monastery Clairvaux. The first Cistercian abbot Gerard became the sixth abbot of Clairvaux. The monastery provided several cardinals and bishops.

The monastery became the mother monastery of five other abbeys ( Convent of Santo Stefano del Bosco in Calabria, Marmosoglio monastery, Monastery Ferraria, Monastery of Corazzo and convent of Santo Spirito di Zannone ).

To 1457 Coming was established in Fossanova, at the same time began the decline of the monastery. 1623 the monastery of the Roman province joined the Italian Congregation of St. Bernard.

1810 dissolved the government of the Kingdom of Naples to the monastery. 1825 was instituted by Pope Leo XIII. transferred the Carthusians of Trisulti who remained about a century long. Today the monastery is run by Polish friars of the Franciscan Order.

Plant and buildings

The foundations for the new monastery church was laid in 1163 under Abbot Gerard and the church was completed in 1208. The Cistercian -Burgundian style of the age at the end of the 14th century the abbey was later also a model for other southern Italian monasteries.