Subiaco, Italy
Encyclopedia
Subiaco is a town and comune
in the Province of Rome
, in Lazio, Italy
, 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) from Tivoli
alongside the river Aniene
. It is mainly renowned as a tourist and religious resort for its sacred grotto (Sacro Speco), in the St. Benedict's Abbey, and the other Abbey of St. Scholastica. It is also famous as the first city in Italy where books were printed, in the 15th century.
, an Italic people. In 304 BC they were conquered by the Romans
, who introduced their civilization and took advantage of the waters of the Aniene
river. The present name of the city comes from the artificial lakes of the luxurious villa that emperor Nero
had built: in Latin Sublaqueum means "under the lake", and the name extended to the town that had grown nearby. The biggest of the three Subiaco Dams
was to be the highest dam in the world until its destruction in 1305. After the fall of the Roman Empire
, the villa and the town were abandoned, becoming almost forgotten ruins.
When St. Benedict, at the age of fourteen, retired from the world and lived for three years in a cave
above the river Anio, he was supplied with the necessaries of life by a monk
, St. Roman
. The grotto at the site became the cradle of the Benedictine Order - St. Benedict was able to build twelve monasteries and to place twelve monks in each. The one at the grotto seems to have had a short existence; in 854 we find a record of its renovation. In this year, Pope Leo IV
is said to have consecrated an altar to Sts. Benedict and Scholastica and another to St. Sylvester. Another renovation took place in 1053 under Abbot Humbert of St. Scholastica. Abbot John V, created cardinal
by Pope Gregory VII
, made the grotto the terminus of a yearly procession, built a new road, and had the altars reconsecrated.
Shortly before 1200 there existed a community of twelve, which Innocent III made a priory; John XXII in 1312 appointed a special abbot. A new road was built by the city in 1688. The sacred grotto is still a favourite pilgrimage, and on October 27, 1909, Pius X granted a daily plenary indulgence
to those who receive Holy Communion there and pray according to the intention of the Holy Father
(Acta. Ap. Sedis, II, 405). The Abbey of St. Scholastica, about a mile and a half below the grotto, was built by St. Benedict himself (about 520), and endowed by the Roman patricians, Tertullus and Æquitius. The second abbot, St. Honoratus, changed the old monastery into a chapter room and built a new one, dedicating it to Sts. Cosmas and Damian. It was destroyed by the Lombards
in 601 and abandoned for a century. By order of John VII
it was rebuilt by Abbot Stephen and consecrated to Sts. Benedict and Scholastica. Demolished in 840 by the Saracens and again in 981 by the Hungarians, it rose from its ruins.
Benedict VII consecrated the new church, and henceforth the abbey was known by the name St. Scholastica. In 1052, Leo IX came to Subiaco to settle various disputes and to correct abuses; a similar visit was made by Gregory VII
. Special favour was shown by Paschal II, who took the abbey from the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Tivoli and made it an abbacy nullius. Its temporal welfare was also a care of the popes. Thus, among others, Innocent III, at his visit, in 1203, increased the revenues of the abbey. With the decline of religious fervour, strife and dissension arose to such an extent that Abbot Bartholomew in 1364, by command of the pope, had to dismiss some of the incorrigible monks and fill their places with religious from other monasteries. Numbers were brought in from Germany and for many decades Subiaco was a center of German thrift, science, and art. Still, it seems the discipline was not satisfactory, for Urban VI (1378–1389) abolished the abbots for life, took away from the monks the right of election, and gave the administration and revenues to a member of the Curia.
Pope Callixtus III
, in 1455, gave the abbey in commendam
to a cardinal
. The first of these was the Spanish Cardinal Juan de Torquemada
and the second Roderigo Borgia
(later Alexander VI), who remodeled the Castrum Sublacence, once the summer resort of the popes, and made it the residence of the commendatory abbot. Many of these abbots cared little for the religious life of the monks and looked only for revenue. As an example, Pompeo Colonna
, Bishop of Rieti, commendatory abbot
since 1506, squandered the goods of the abbey and gave the income to unworthy subjects. On complaint of the community, in 1510, Julius II readjusted matters and restored the monastic possessions. For spiritual benefit a union had been made between Subiaco and the Abbey of Farfa
, but it lasted only a short time. In 1514. Subiaco joined the Congregation of St. Justina, whose abbot-general was titular of St. Scholastica, while a cardinal remained commendatory abbot. Even after this union there were quarrels between Subiaco and Farfa, Subiaco and Monte Cassino
, the Germans and the Italians.
After this little is known about the abbey and the city until the 19th century. In 1798-1799 and 1810-1814 French
troops entered the city, plundering the monasteries and the churches. In 1849 and 1867 Giuseppe Garibaldi
conquered the city in his plan to destroy the temporal rule of the Pope
: in 1870 the city become definitively part of the Regno d'Italia
.
In 1891, a Benedictine abbey founded earlier in northern Arkansas
, United States
, changed its name to Subiaco
in order to more closely align its teachings and practices to those of the famous abbeys of the Italian namesake.
The German printers Sweinheim and Pannartz established in Subiaco a printing press
and printed Donatus pro parvulis, Lactantius (1465) and De Civitate Dei (1467). Those were the very first books to be printed in Italy
.
In the first years of the 20th century the area was improved with the connection to a railway, a hydroelectric plant and an aqueduct
. Electricity
was brought to the houses and a hospital was built. In World War II
Subiaco was bombed by Allied planes.
In addition to the two abbeys, also noteworthy are:
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in the Province of Rome
Province of Rome
The Province of Rome , is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. The province can be viewed as the extended metropolitan area of the city of Rome, although in its more peripheral portions, especially to the north, it comprises towns surrounded by rural landscape.-Geography:The Province of Rome...
, in Lazio, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) from Tivoli
Tivoli, Italy
Tivoli , the classical Tibur, is an ancient Italian town in Lazio, about 30 km east-north-east of Rome, at the falls of the Aniene river where it issues from the Sabine hills...
alongside the river Aniene
Aniene
-External links:* http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/horaces-villa/glossary/Anio.gloss.html*...
. It is mainly renowned as a tourist and religious resort for its sacred grotto (Sacro Speco), in the St. Benedict's Abbey, and the other Abbey of St. Scholastica. It is also famous as the first city in Italy where books were printed, in the 15th century.
History
Ancient settlers of the area were the AequiAequi
thumb|300px|Location of the Aequi in central Italy.The Aequi were an ancient people of northeast Latium and the central Appennines of Italy who appear in the early history of ancient Rome. After a long struggle for independence from Rome they were defeated and substantial Roman colonies were...
, an Italic people. In 304 BC they were conquered by the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, who introduced their civilization and took advantage of the waters of the Aniene
Aniene
-External links:* http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/horaces-villa/glossary/Anio.gloss.html*...
river. The present name of the city comes from the artificial lakes of the luxurious villa that emperor Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
had built: in Latin Sublaqueum means "under the lake", and the name extended to the town that had grown nearby. The biggest of the three Subiaco Dams
Subiaco Dams
The Subiaco Dams were a group of three Roman gravity dams at Subiaco, Lazio, Italy, devised as pleasure lakes for emperor Nero . The biggest one was the highest dam in the Roman Empire, and even in the world until its destruction in 1305.- See also :...
was to be the highest dam in the world until its destruction in 1305. After the fall of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, the villa and the town were abandoned, becoming almost forgotten ruins.
When St. Benedict, at the age of fourteen, retired from the world and lived for three years in a cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
above the river Anio, he was supplied with the necessaries of life by a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
, St. Roman
Romanus of Subiaco
Saint Romanus of Subiaco was a hermit in the area around Subiaco, Italy.He is remembered as having assisted and influenced Saint Benedict of Nursia, when the latter had just begun his life as a hermit. Romanus provided Benedict with clothing , food, and housing Saint Romanus of Subiaco (died ca....
. The grotto at the site became the cradle of the Benedictine Order - St. Benedict was able to build twelve monasteries and to place twelve monks in each. The one at the grotto seems to have had a short existence; in 854 we find a record of its renovation. In this year, Pope Leo IV
Pope Leo IV
Pope Saint Leo IV was pope from 10 April 847 to 17 July 855.A Roman by birth, he was unanimously chosen to succeed Sergius II. When he was elected, on 10 April 847, he was cardinal of Santi Quattro Coronati, and had been subdeacon of Gregory IV and archpriest under his predecessor...
is said to have consecrated an altar to Sts. Benedict and Scholastica and another to St. Sylvester. Another renovation took place in 1053 under Abbot Humbert of St. Scholastica. Abbot John V, created cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
by Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
, made the grotto the terminus of a yearly procession, built a new road, and had the altars reconsecrated.
Shortly before 1200 there existed a community of twelve, which Innocent III made a priory; John XXII in 1312 appointed a special abbot. A new road was built by the city in 1688. The sacred grotto is still a favourite pilgrimage, and on October 27, 1909, Pius X granted a daily plenary indulgence
Indulgence
In Catholic theology, an indulgence is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution...
to those who receive Holy Communion there and pray according to the intention of the Holy Father
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
(Acta. Ap. Sedis, II, 405). The Abbey of St. Scholastica, about a mile and a half below the grotto, was built by St. Benedict himself (about 520), and endowed by the Roman patricians, Tertullus and Æquitius. The second abbot, St. Honoratus, changed the old monastery into a chapter room and built a new one, dedicating it to Sts. Cosmas and Damian. It was destroyed by the Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
in 601 and abandoned for a century. By order of John VII
Pope John VII
Pope John VII was pope from 705 to 707. The successor of John VI, he was of Greek ancestry. He is one of the popes of the Byzantine captivity.-Biography:...
it was rebuilt by Abbot Stephen and consecrated to Sts. Benedict and Scholastica. Demolished in 840 by the Saracens and again in 981 by the Hungarians, it rose from its ruins.
Benedict VII consecrated the new church, and henceforth the abbey was known by the name St. Scholastica. In 1052, Leo IX came to Subiaco to settle various disputes and to correct abuses; a similar visit was made by Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
. Special favour was shown by Paschal II, who took the abbey from the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Tivoli and made it an abbacy nullius. Its temporal welfare was also a care of the popes. Thus, among others, Innocent III, at his visit, in 1203, increased the revenues of the abbey. With the decline of religious fervour, strife and dissension arose to such an extent that Abbot Bartholomew in 1364, by command of the pope, had to dismiss some of the incorrigible monks and fill their places with religious from other monasteries. Numbers were brought in from Germany and for many decades Subiaco was a center of German thrift, science, and art. Still, it seems the discipline was not satisfactory, for Urban VI (1378–1389) abolished the abbots for life, took away from the monks the right of election, and gave the administration and revenues to a member of the Curia.
Pope Callixtus III
Pope Callixtus III
Pope Callixtus III , né Alfons de Borja, was Pope from April 8, 1455 to his death in 1458.-Biography:...
, in 1455, gave the abbey in commendam
In Commendam
In canon law, commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody of a patron...
to a cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
. The first of these was the Spanish Cardinal Juan de Torquemada
Juan de Torquemada (Cardinal)
Juan de Torquemada , or rather Johannes de Turrecremata, Spanish ecclesiastic, was born at Valladolid, and was educated in that city....
and the second Roderigo Borgia
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
(later Alexander VI), who remodeled the Castrum Sublacence, once the summer resort of the popes, and made it the residence of the commendatory abbot. Many of these abbots cared little for the religious life of the monks and looked only for revenue. As an example, Pompeo Colonna
Pompeo Colonna
Pompeo Colonna was an Italian Cardinal, politician and condottiero.Born in Rome, he fought very early against the traditional family enemies, the Orsini....
, Bishop of Rieti, commendatory abbot
Commendatory abbot
A commendatory abbot is an ecclesiastic, or sometimes a layman, who holds an abbey in commendam, drawing its revenues but not exercising any authority over its inner monastic discipline...
since 1506, squandered the goods of the abbey and gave the income to unworthy subjects. On complaint of the community, in 1510, Julius II readjusted matters and restored the monastic possessions. For spiritual benefit a union had been made between Subiaco and the Abbey of Farfa
Abbey of Farfa
Farfa Abbey is a territorial abbey in northern Lazio, central Italy. It is one of the most famous abbeys of Europe. It belongs to the Benedictine Order and is located about 60 km from Rome, in the commune of Fara Sabina, not far from the Fara Sabina railway station.-History:A legend in the...
, but it lasted only a short time. In 1514. Subiaco joined the Congregation of St. Justina, whose abbot-general was titular of St. Scholastica, while a cardinal remained commendatory abbot. Even after this union there were quarrels between Subiaco and Farfa, Subiaco and Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, Italy, c. to the west of the town of Cassino and altitude. St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, here around 529. It was the site of Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944...
, the Germans and the Italians.
After this little is known about the abbey and the city until the 19th century. In 1798-1799 and 1810-1814 French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
troops entered the city, plundering the monasteries and the churches. In 1849 and 1867 Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
conquered the city in his plan to destroy the temporal rule of the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
: in 1870 the city become definitively part of the Regno d'Italia
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
In 1891, a Benedictine abbey founded earlier in northern Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, changed its name to Subiaco
Subiaco, Arkansas
Subiaco is a town in Logan County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 439 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Subiaco in the Lazio region of Italy...
in order to more closely align its teachings and practices to those of the famous abbeys of the Italian namesake.
The German printers Sweinheim and Pannartz established in Subiaco a printing press
Subiaco Press
The Subiaco Press was a printing press in Subiaco, Italy. The Press was established in 1464 by the German monks Arnold Pannartz and Konrad Sweinheim in the church of Santa Scolastica at Subiaco. It was the first printing press in Italy....
and printed Donatus pro parvulis, Lactantius (1465) and De Civitate Dei (1467). Those were the very first books to be printed in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
In the first years of the 20th century the area was improved with the connection to a railway, a hydroelectric plant and an aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
. Electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
was brought to the houses and a hospital was built. In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Subiaco was bombed by Allied planes.
Main sights
- Rocca Abbaziale ("Abbots castle"), a massive medieval edifice largely rebuilt in the 16th and 17th centuries.
- Church of Saint Francis (1327), housing notable paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries.
- The medieval St. Francis' bridgePonte di San FrancescoThe Ponte di San Francesco is a medieval segmental arch bridge over the Aniene in Subiaco, Lazio, Italy...
, a fortified bridge featuring a span of 37 m - The neo-classical churches of Sant'Andrea and Santa Maria della Valle.
Notable people
People born in Subiaco, or with important links to the town, include- Lucrezia BorgiaLucrezia BorgiaLucrezia Borgia [luˈkrɛtsia ˈbɔrʤa] was the illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei. Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia...
(1480–1519) - Francesco GrazianiFrancesco GrazianiFrancesco "Ciccio" Graziani is an Italy football manager and former player.-Playing career:Graziani was born in Subiaco, in the province of Rome....
(born 1952), Italian international footballer - Gina LollobrigidaGina LollobrigidaGina Lollobrigida is an Italian actress, photojournalist and sculptress. She was one of the most popular European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s. She was also an iconic sex symbol of the 1950s. Today, she remains an active supporter of Italian and Italian American causes, particularly the...
(born 1927), film actress