Tel. 0765 27065 Closed Mondays.
Weekday visiting times: 9.30-
13.00/15.30-18.00
Sundays and holidays:
10.00-13.00/15.00-
18.00

Historical Background



The origins of the Abbey are shrouded in mystery, but according to tradition the monastery was founded during the sixth century by S. Lorenzo, with the aim of spreading the values of the Gospel and of the Virgin Mary. An aim which was followed fervently by the first monks, favouring a growth in Christianity not only in the Sabina but also in other areas of central Italy such as Umbria, Abruzzo and Marche. Consequently the Abbey received many generous donations, making it already rich when the Longobard invasion destroyed the Basilica and the other buildings of the monastery.
It was rebuilt by S.Tommaso da Moriana, a monk who, in Jerusalem, had a vision of the Madonna who told him to go to the Sabina where, on Mount Acuziano, he would find a Basilica dedicated to her.
Following the death of this second founder, the Benedictine monastery attracted more large donations from the faithful and exercised feudal control over castles and medieval villages. During the ninth century the Saracen invasions destroyed it again, but after their defeat the Abbot Ratfredo began the process of reconstruction and recovered the lost territories.
Under the Abbot Ugo I the Abbey flourished under the protection of the Carolingians, beginning with Charlemagne, and the Abbey later took the side of the Empire in the struggle for the papacy, earning the title of Imperial Abbey. The following centuries saw a constant expansion, with the Abbey controlling large amounts of territory, even outside the Sabina.
The Abbey brought economic prosperity to the surrounding area, the Benedictine monks controlled agricultural production and a large number of artisans were attracted there. Both artisans and farmers were able to sell their products in the frequent fairs which brought merchants from all over. The decline of the Abbey began during the fifteenth century following the expansionist policies of the Roman noble families and the concentration of power in the Holy See. The Abbey was reduced to the status of Commendam and was controlled by a committee of Cardinals. Following the reunification of Italy, its goods were confiscated by the new state and it was only in 1921, at the hands of Cardinal Schuster, that the Benedictine monks were able to return to the Abbey.

Itinerary
The visit begins at the Abbey Church, which dates from the second half of the fifteenth century.
It is preceded by a courtyard which you enter through a thirteenth-century Romanesque portal with Gothic additions. The facade of the Church has an elegant fifteenth-century doorway with a lunette frescoed by Cola dell'Amatrice, depicting a Madonna with Child between two Saints and a patron, and topped by the coat of arms of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Orsini. The interior has three naves divided by rows of ionic columns.
The internal wall of the facade is decorated with an oil painting dated 1561 and attributed to the Flemish painter Hendrik van der Broek, depicting the Last Judgment.
The apse and the minor naves are decorated with frescoes from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, depicting scenes from the lives of the Virgin, Saints, and Bible stories. There is a precious ebony coffer carved with scenes from the life of Jesus and the Madonna, and in the vault of one of the side naves there is a "grotesque" decoration. The wooden ceiling is coffered, with gilded rosettes on an azure background, with the coat of arms of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Orsini in the centre. On the altars of the side chapels there are some interesting seventeenth century paintings, including a copy of the Crucifixion by Francesco Trevisani.
The floor still shows traces of mosaics and a semi-illegible inscription "Magister Rain...". Near the door of the Basilica, in the apse and the transept, you can see the remains of ancient buildings and a defensive wall. There is also a valuable Carolingian altar and the Arcosolio di Altperto. From the the Imperial cloister you reach the Abbey Museum, rich in frescoes and statues such as the fifteenth-century Madonna with Child, and two paintings by a fifteenth-century follower of Antonazzo. There are also some fascinating archaeological exhibits, including the Cippo di Cures, a unique example of a Sabine inscription from the sixth century BC. Architectural highlights include the tenth century square bell tower and the semi-secular crypt dating from the seventh and eighth century, which houses a Roman sarcophagus from the third century BC.
The library houses some precious old volumes and constitutes a unique record of the activity of the monastery over the centuries. You should also visit the Romanesque cloister, known as the Longobard Cloister, and the Grand Cloister with Roman sculptures and inscriptions.