Monte Cassino
South of Rome, upon the Via Latina rises Monte Cassino. A rocky hill crowned by a world-famous abbey—it was here the Benedictine Order, and it’s Rules was born; its thus the womb of Western Monasticism.
During Roman times the hill and its surrounding lands was a minor town called Casinum, founded by the Latin tribes before the Romans appearance. Ancient olive trees and the amphitheatre is all that remains of this era. During the barbary, it would be largely abandoned like so many other smaller towns.
In 529 A.D, St. Benedict of Nursia travelled to the hill. He was distraught to find that the locals still venerated Apollo in a temple on the hill’s top. Though even this was not an affront enough, through their ignorance the farmers had turned to demon worship, where even at that time a wild crowd still devoted themselves to unholy sacrifices. Benedict smashed the pagans’ altars, cut down their sacred grove and converted the temple into a chapel. He dedicated it to St. Martin and St. John. Here next Benedict began to preach to the mislead populous and though his own Faith he won over many to God.
Benedict decided to remain at Monte Cassino and constructed a grand abbey. Yet the demon who he had deprived of its worshipper was not done with him yet. At numerous times during the construction the demon would intervene—yet Benedict could not be dissuaded, and the abbey was completed.
Man achieved what the demon could not himself though, and in 580 the monastery was burned to the ground by Lombards. The site was abandoned, and the remains of St Benedict was transferred. Yet the Benedict did not give up on their founder’s vision and in the 8th century the rebuilding and expansion was complete, the monastery was given their own territory with independent sovereignty. A golden age had begun for Monte Cassino.
The Library of Monte Cassino quickly began to specialize in Medicine. Arabic text from Naples flooded the monastery which was soon translated and copied. Even in 1220, the scribes and illuminators of Monte Cassino are some of the most skilled in the world. Even developing a unique script called Beneventan, a distinct calling card of the abbey and her daughters. Monte Cassino was for long the foremost place of learning in Italy, it was due to its library and resources Salerno could open its school.
The golden age would be stopped by another sacking, this one by the Saracens. As the Cluniac Reforms was spreading and attempting to reform monasticism, Monte Cassino was once more abandoned.
The abbey has remained on good terms with the Eastern Roman Empire and its mosaicists. Hiring artist and architect from Constantinople. It also remains a popular site for pilgrims. Naturally the Benedict Order also has a great interest in the site and many meeting are held here.
Monte Cassino has a divine aura of 6 and many relics are housed in it—mostly related to the life of St. Benedict. It possible that among the artworks and books of the monastery a few Hyperborean Relics have been left from the original temple. Although the demon playing the role of Apollo might also have left its treasures. Its vast library is another draw which might inspire players to visit.