Eremo
dei Frati Bianchi
History of the Eremo delle
Grotte
The Eremo delle Grotte is located in the “Corvo valley”. It is
set in a beautiful century old wood that has been declared Protected
Floristic Area.
The hagiographic tradition wants the hermitage to have been founded by
S.Romualdo in 1000AD.
The first written evidence of a cave derived from the mountain side dates
back to 1294. There is also written evidence of its being inhabited by
Giovanni Maris first and Matteo Sabbatini until 1320.
The
caves were then occupied from 1420 to 1466 by the Opinion Friars that were
persecuted by the Church that thought them to be heretics.
The
hermitage also sheltered Antonio da Recanati, a Camaldolese monk from 1509
and 1522. He dig the first church in the tuff.
Paolo Giustiniani, an other Camaldolese monk began the first building
works in 1524. He founded an hermitage based on the Coronese model.
He built three bodies against the tuff mountain face surrounded by
boundary wall with entrance. The three buildings are linked to each other
and create a open trapezium on the South Side.
A
“crown of 5 lauras” (collection of small cells constituted of small
independent houses with fenced kitchen
garden and a common church) was built in 1586.
When two lauras were built, 2 buildings of the original body were restored
and it seems that also the bell tower dates back to those years.
Next to the monastery there was also a pilgrim accommodation that was then
included in the whole structure in later years. Some century old trees had
to be cut down because they were threatening the stability of the cells in
1660.
The head of the Caves was Don Apollonio Tucchi
in 1783. He was keen and expert in architecture and decided to
restore and enlarge the hermitage. He drawn the projects himself.
Two of the lauras were demolished and the fourth side of the trapezium
created by the remaining 3 lauras was closed by a new building.
It is parallel to the “Corvo Ditch” and it included the pilgrim
accommodation. At this stage the yard was partly occupied by the
enlargements of S.Romualdo chapel and S.Giuseppe Church.
The
Eremo delle Grotte was abandoned in may 1810. The conquering Napoleon had
in fact ordered that any catholic institute had to be closed if it hosted
less than 24 prelates.
The edict wasn’t effective any more in 1820. But it wasn’t before two
years that monks went back to the Eremo delle Grotte. The inside
decorations of the chapter house, library, S. Romualdo chapel and of
S.Giuseppe church were made in 1826.
When Italy was united in 1861 the hermitage changed its name from Eremo
delle Grotte di Massaccio to Eremo delle Grotte di Cupramontana.
In 1866 though and edict wanted all the religious institutes occupied by
male to be commandeered by 1st January 1867.
In May 1874 the hermits went back to the hermitage thanks to the prince
Scipione Borghese Salviati that bought the place and donated it to the
Congregation before the Government expropriated it.
The hermitage was definitely abandoned in 1925 and it is now under the
care of the priest of S.Lorenzo Parish in Cupramontana.
Eremo
dei Frati Bianchi
The
History
of the Eremo delle Grotte
White
Friars Wood
Hermitage
restoration
Gloria Focante
per
Paradise Possible
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