Benedictine Abbey of S. Angelo in Formis

2008

The church, dedicated to San Michele Arcangelo, rises along the western slope of Mount Tifata. Initially in the documents the building is indicated as ad arcum Dianae ("at the arch of Diana"), recalling that it stood above the remains of the temple dedicated to this divinity, while later it is referred to with the denominations ad Formas , Informis or in Formis. The etymological interpretation of the new name is controversial: on the one hand, the hypothesis is that it derives from the Latin term forma ("aqueduct"), and that it indicates the proximity of a conduit or aquifer; while on the other hand the term is considered derived from the word informis ("formless", and therefore "spiritual"). The remains of the Roman temple were found in 1877, and it has been noted that the basilica retraces its perimeter, adding the apses at the end of the aisles. The first construction of the basilica can be traced back to the Lombard period, on the basis of the widespread diffusion of the cult of the archangel Michael among the Lombards at the end of the sixth century. At the time of the bishop of Capua Pietro I (925-938), the church was donated to the monks of Montecassino, who wanted to build a monastery there. The church was then taken from the monks and given back to them in 1072 by the prince of Capua, Riccardo. The then abbot Desiderio di Montecassino (the future Pope Victor III) decided to rebuild the basilica (1072 - 1087) and still respected the architectural elements of pagan origin. To him we owe the frescoes of the Byzantine-Campanian school that decorate the interior and which constitute one of the most important and best preserved pictorial cycles of the time in southern Italy. The reconstruction of the portico in front of the church, with new frescoes, and a reconstruction of the bell tower following a collapse have been attributed to the 12th century

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Sessa Aurunca (CE), the Cathedral

Construction was begun by probable workers of the Casauriense school (see portico of the abbey of S. Clemente a Casauria built between 1176 and 1180) in 1113, partly reusing materials from ancient Roman buildings, and consecrated in 1183; the current external appearance was achieved in the first half of the thirteenth century with the addition of the portico and the large window placed in the upper part of the facade. The interior, on the other hand, having eliminated the trussed ceiling already in the thirteenth century, remained Romanesque until the mid-eighteenth century when the bishop Francesco Caracciolo d'Altamura decided to modernize it according to the tastes and style of the time, namely the Baroque. In July 1929, Pope Pius XI elevated it to the dignity of a minor basilica.

Teano. The Dome. The Pulpit

The cathedral, originally dedicated to San Terenziano, was later named after San Clemente. Construction began in 1050 by Bishop Guglielmo, to replace the old cathedral of San Paride ad Fontem, located outside the city walls. The works were completed in 1116 by Bishop Pandulfo. The building has a basilica structure divided into three naves by two rows of columns. In 1608 it was damaged internally by a fire that almost completely destroyed the cosmates ambo, subsequently recomposed using the remains of the previous one integrated with the marble slabs of a fourteenth-century sepulchral monument already present in the church and positioned on twisted columns, two of which rested on fountain lions. During the 16th century the Romanesque apse was modified and on that occasion a precious carved wooden choir was built in the presbytery, built in 1539 by the Benedictine Antonio Maria Sertorio. The choir underwent two restorations, the first in the 17th century and the second in 1957, following the damage suffered during the Second World War.

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Teano. The Cathedral. The Pulpit

The cathedral, originally dedicated to San Terenziano, was later named after San Clemente. Construction began in 1050 by Bishop Guglielmo, to replace the old cathedral of San Paride ad Fontem, located outside the city walls. The works were completed in 1116 by Bishop Pandulfo. The building has a basilica structure divided into three naves by two rows of columns. In 1608 it was damaged internally by a fire that almost completely destroyed the cosmates ambo, subsequently recomposed using the remains of the previous one integrated with the marble slabs of a fourteenth-century sepulchral monument already present in the church and positioned on twisted columns, two of which rested on fountain lions. During the 16th century the Romanesque apse was modified and on that occasion a precious carved wooden choir was built in the presbytery, built in 1539 by the Benedictine Antonio Maria Sertorio. The choir underwent two restorations, the first in the 17th century and the second in 1957, following the damage suffered during the Second World War.

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The Monastery of S. Reparata, probably founded in the 9th century, was canonically suppressed after the Council of Trent, due to the prohibition against holding female monasteries outside the town. The nuns were welcomed in the Monastery of S. Caterina. The Monastery of S. Reparata is located along the road to Roccamonfina, in the Pino district and its foundation is not prior to 804 as it is not mentioned in the privilege of Charlemagne, which lists all the Benedictine possessions in Teano. The most probable date is the second half of the century. IX. According to the Bishop Mons. Domenico Giordano, the transfer of S. Reparata to the Cathedral took place in the year 880. It is one of the most important monasteries in Teano because the remains of Santa Reparata, who is the patron saint of Nice, are kept inside the church. his diocese, of the cities of Atri and Casoli; she co-patroness of Florence, of Teano, of the diocese of Teramo-Atri and patroness and protector of the municipality of Pesco Sannita.

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