One of the great things about modern libraries that is sometimes taken for granted is the access to books of many cultures and ages they make available. Such was not always the case. With the fall of the Roman Empire in the west and the unsettled conditions of the ensuing centuries, an unspeakable amount of books were lost either through deliberate destruction by zealots, depredations of ensuing waves of invaders, or sheer neglect. What books there were consisted mostly of religious texts which were so valuable they had to be literally chained down to avoid their theft.
Fortunately, the seed of change was planted in the year 529 when St. Benedict founded the Monastery of Monte Cassino in the mountains between Rome and Naples. The monks were called the Benedictines after him, and followed the Rule of St. Benedict which emphasized, among other things, care for the sick, learning and labor. They soon established the first hospital in Europe since the days of Rome’s glory; the Order soon spread throughout the continent.
Unfortunately, the Monastery was burnt in 580 by invading Lombards; it wasn’t until 718 that it was rebuilt, only to be destroyed again by the Saracens in 884. Reconstruction began in the ensuing years and rose to new heights in the 11th century under the Abbot Desiderius. A man of culture and appreciative of his position, he enlisted the services of architects and artists from Amalfi, Lombardy, Constantinople and elsewhere to aid in the building. It was here that Gothic architecture, with its characteristic pointed arches, had its naissance.
Most important for posterity was the great attention paid to the library. Owing to the closeness to the major seaport of Naples, books both sacred and secular, ancient and contemporary were imported from throughout the known world and translated from the Arabic, Greek, Hebrew and other languages into Latin. It soon became the most important library of the time, known not only for the quantity of books, but also for their high quality as the scores of monks who labored in the Scriptorium produce illuminated manuscripts of striking beauty. The vast collection of medical and scientific works combined with the Benedictines’ care for the sick made the Monastery the world’s most important medical center, attracting students and physicians from the four corners of the earth. Eventually the world’s first real university, the School of Salerno, was spun off, which set the standard for the study of medicine for centuries afterward.
Sadly, a period of decline started to set in in the 13th century which was greatly exacerbated by the so-called Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy, which began in 1309 when the French Pope Clement IV moved from Rome to Avignon, thus becoming a virtual vassal of the King of France. With the center of papal power thus located, seven French Popes in all were chosen. They had the power to appoint cronies to important positions, including that of Abbot of Monte Cassino. Despite the post, they remained at home in France and totally neglected the Monastery, the worst effect of which was the confiscation of its revenues for themselves. The number of monks dwindled and the lack of funds caused the maintenance of the place to be neglected.
That was not all; in 1349, during the time of the Black Plague, there was an earthquake that destroyed a good portion of it.
Thus in 1355, when the great author and humanist Giovanni Boccaccio journeyed there in hope of having access to the once great library, it is said he burst into tears upon arrival. The doors were gone, the windows broken and weeds were growing in it. Worse yet, the books were covered in layers of grime and dust; many were missing covers, margins and leaves. Upon inquiring, he discovered that some of the impoverished monks had caused the damage in order to reuse the expensive parchment to create breviaries and books of psalms which they were able to easily sell. Fortunately, he was able to salvage some of the works of Tacitus, Apuleius and a few other ancient authors; he brought them back to Florence, where they now reside in the Laurentian Library.
Although eventually repaired, the Monastery was but a shadow of its former self. Yet another calamity occurred in 1799 when invading French soldiers sacked it. That was not all. During World War II the surrounding area was occupied by German troops. The commander, who was a devout Catholic, kept the Monastery off limits. Owing to its strategic location, the Allied forces viewed it as a prime target during the liberation of Italy. In anticipation of the impending battle, what was left of the library was shipped to the Vatican for safekeeping. What followed was one of the great blunders of the War, the bombing of the Monastery itself. The ruins provided a perfect defensive position and the ensuing Battle of Monte Cassino was one of the most difficult fought, with heavy casualties on both sides.
Happily, the Monastery was rebuilt during the postwar period and is now a popular tourist spot.
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