For more than 1500 years the history of the village remains suspended between space and time
The Borgo was born on an ancient Benedictine settlement of the 6th century built on the remains of a Roman villa. Saint Benedict, with his rule “Ora et Labora”, drew the guideline for the development of the monastic phenomenon in the West. The seed of the rule produced extraordinary fruits, such as the new important settlements of Cassino, Farfa and San Vincenzo al Volturno. Between the end of the 10th and the beginning of the 11th century the proliferation of
monasteries generated, due to the frantic search for suitable areas, a new form of settlement: the new monasteries no longer rose in impervious and isolated areas, but close to urban areas, such as the ancient Privernum, on the remains of pre-existing basilicas and in areas directly controlled by bishops.
In spite of a tradition based on the belief that portrayed the area of Fossanova as totally unhealthy, you can imagine the area between Privernum and Fossanova itself as a “continum” of life with a strong urban and suburban value.
In 1135 by the will of Pope Innocent II, the territory around Fossanova passed to the Order of the Cistercians. The name of the order was inspired by Citeaux, a place located in eastern France, called Cisterciumal in the time of the Romans.
It was there that an Abbey was founded in 1098 giving birth to the new monastic experience whose belief is “Poverty”, evident and recurrent also in the architectural choice of the buildings and the Abbeys which are stripped of embellishments and decorations.
The Cistercian creed was completed by the addition of the manual work in the fields to the life of the monks. The bond of “charity” also influenced the system of diffusion of the Order and the “mother” Abbeys generated the “daughter” Abbeys. The Father of this experience is St. Bernard of Clairvaux who, around the 1120, encouraged the birth of the first Abbeys in Italy. The presence of a Cistercian settlement in Italy was only apparently autonomous, because it actually strengthened,
throughout the territory, the political presence of the Church weakened by a hard struggle between the antipope Anacleto IV and Innocenzo II, for the conquest of the papal throne.
According to the “entrepreneurial” customs of the Cistercians, the monks tried to expand their possessions by purchasing and accepting as a gift some land suitable for being more productive.
A major boost came from the Church at the hands of Pope Honorius III, who authorized the “ius deviationis”, the right to dig new channels (hence Fossa Nova) to regulate and improve the water regime. (sources: the Rediscovery of Fossanova by Giovanni Maria De Rossi).
In 1274, after a long journey, Saint Thomas Aquinas arrived in Fossanova: Dominican friar, exponent of Scholasticism, called Doctor Angelicus by his contemporaries. Revered as a saint by the Lutheran Church and by the Catholic Church which since 1567 honorated him with the title of Doctor of the Church. Thomas represented one of the main theological and philosophical pillars of the Catholic Church: his thought was also the link between Christianity and classical philosophy. It was the end of January 1274 when Thomas and his secretary set off to Lyon for the Council that Gregory X had called for May 1st.
After a few days of travel they arrived at the castle of Maenza where his niece Francesca, local Lady, lived. Tommaso got sick. After a few days, he resumed his journey towards Rome, but he had to stop again to regain his strength here, in the Abbey of Fossanova. As soon as he crossed the threshold of the Abbey he pronounced these words as aware of his imminent death … “this is the place of my rest forever; I will dwell here because I have chosen it. ” Tommaso survived in
Fossanova for some time. He died on Wednesday 7 March 1274.
A major boost came from the Church at the hands of Pope Honorius III, who authorized the “ius deviationis”, the right to dig new channels (hence Fossa Nova) to regulate and improve the water regime. (sources: the Rediscovery of Fossanova by Giovanni Maria De Rossi).
In 1274, after a long journey, Saint Thomas Aquinas arrived in Fossanova: Dominican friar, exponent of Scholasticism, called Doctor Angelicus by his contemporaries. Revered as a saint by the Lutheran Church and by the Catholic Church which since 1567 honorated him with the title of Doctor of the Church. Thomas represented one of the main theological and philosophical pillars of the Catholic Church: his thought was also the link between Christianity and classical philosophy. It was the end of January 1274 when Thomas and his secretary set off to Lyon for the Council that Gregory X had called for May 1st.
After a few days of travel they arrived at the castle of Maenza where his niece Francesca, local Lady, lived. Tommaso got sick. After a few days, he resumed his journey towards Rome, but he had to stop again to regain his strength here, in the Abbey of Fossanova. As soon as he crossed the threshold of the Abbey he pronounced these words as aware of his imminent death … “this is the place of my rest forever; I will dwell here because I have chosen it. ” Tommaso survived in
Fossanova for some time. He died on Wednesday 7 March 1274.
The mortal remains of Thomas Aquinas are preserved in the Dominican church called Les Jacobins in Toulouse. The relic of his right hand is kept in Salerno in the church of Saint Domenico while the famous relic of his skull is preserved and venerated in the Cathedral of Priverno.
In the Middle Ages Fossanova experienced its most flourishing period becoming an important center of arts, but starting from the following century it began a slow but unstoppable descent which, enhanced by the imposition of the Commenda in the middle of the XVth century, ended in the nineteenth century with the complete transformation of the Abbey in rural Village.
In 1874 Fossanova was declared a National Monument.
It has come to the present days passing in ownership to important families such as the Polverosi marquises and the Borghese princes. Thanks to the Di Stefano family, owner for four generations of many buildings that make it up, the village has been bound to Heritage Landscapes since 1959 and to the Architectural Heritage since 1977.
The mortal remains of Thomas Aquinas are preserved in the Dominican church called Les Jacobins in Toulouse. The relic of his right hand is kept in Salerno in the church of Saint Domenico while the famous relic of his skull is preserved and venerated in the Cathedral of Priverno.
In the Middle Ages Fossanova experienced its most flourishing period becoming an important center of arts, but starting from the following century it began a slow but unstoppable descent which, enhanced by the imposition of the Commenda in the middle of the XVth century, ended in the nineteenth century with the complete transformation of the Abbey in rural Village.
In 1874 Fossanova was declared a National Monument.
It has come to the present days passing in ownership to important families such as the Polverosi marquises and the Borghese princes. Thanks to the Di Stefano family, owner for four generations of many buildings that make it up, the village has been bound to Heritage Landscapes since 1959 and to the Architectural Heritage since 1977.
Today the Abbey is guarded and managed by the Brotherhood of the Incarnate Word who, helped by the more passionate inhabitants, have reopened the oratory and the people’s hearts. The project being studied by responsible authorities is to make the Abbey of Fossanova, a university campus for Thomistic studies: the dream of all of us would come true.
Today the Abbey is guarded and managed by the Brotherhood of the Incarnate Word who, helped by the more passionate inhabitants, have reopened the oratory and the people’s hearts. The project being studied by responsible authorities is to make the Abbey of Fossanova, a university campus for Thomistic studies: the dream of all of us would come true.