Abbey of Montecassino

The road to the abbey of Montecassino (9km/5.5mi) winds steeply up the hill in hairpin bends from the west side of the town. Just outside the town, on the left of the road, are the remains of the Roman Casinum, including the massive ruins of an amphitheater, a mausoleum and a theater. At the next bend, on the right, are the ruins of the Rocca lanula (193m/637ft), built 949-86.

Just before the monastery, on the right, is a road leading to the Polish military cemetery, with over 1,000 graves. Beyond this are pre-Roman polygonal walls (fourth-third centuries B.C.).

On the summit of the hill (519m/1,713ft) is the abbey of Montecassino, founded by St Benedict in 529, and acknowledged as the cradle of the Benedictine order, which became a great center of learning and art. During the World War II, the hill of Montecassino was a cornerstone of the German defensive line from October 1943 to May 1944, and on February 15th 1944 the abbey was almost completely destroyed by an Allied air attack, although the Germans had declared that it was clear of troops. The abbey has since been rebuilt in its original form, the only surviving features of the old buildings being the crypt, with paintings from the school of Beuron (1898-1913), and the tombs of St Benedict and his twin sister St Scholastica (both c. 480-543). The contents of the valuable library (80,000 volumes), the abbey's archives and many pictures were removed to safety in the Vatican during the fighting.