Exarchic Greek Abbey of St. Mary of Grottaferrata - Basilian Monks Corso del Popolo, 128 - 00046 Grottaferrata (Rome) ITALY - Phone 0039.06.9459309 - Fax 0039.06.9456734 |
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HISTORY AND ORIGINS - Introduction
At that time Calabria was under the Byzantine rule and was Greek in language, culture, and spiritual and liturgical tradition. Nilus had founded several monasteries in Calabria and in Campania. Though a humble saint, he was held in high esteem by Princes, Emperors and Popes. Having flown from place to place to avoid all honours, he finally wanted to reach Rome to end his days in peace. On the Tuscolo hills, the monks had been attracted by the wonderful ruins of a Roman villa, and by a low building in opus quadratum where there had been a sepulchre cell of the Republican era, and which had been adapted as a Christian oratory since the 5th century. Here St. Nilus and his followers stayed. Tradition says that in the Crypt, the Virgin Mother of God appeared to St. Nilus and to his disciple, the would-be St. Bartholomaeus, asking that they should build there in her honour a church, from where graces would flow on all neighbouring lands. Having obtained a gift of land from Count Gregorio of Tuscolo, the building of the Church and the Monastery began.
Leaving the Church, one can see how all around it the monastery was built first in small dimensions, then it was enlarged more and more through the centuries with several outlying buildings. To the right of the Church there is a printing house; in front of it, the workshop used for restoration of old manuscripts and book. The monastery is also a center of culture, keeping in the "New Library" many old manuscripts left by St. Nilus and his monks. In the XV Century the Abbey was envolved several times in the wars between Rome and Tuscolo. In 1241, for a period of 2 years, the Emperor Frederick II took possession of it, ruining it. Then came the mercenary troops (Ladislao of Naples, Nicolò Fortebraccio and Antonio da Pontedera XV Century). After all these troubles the Greek Abbey had a period of peace under the protection of the ‘Commendatario’ Cardinal Bessarione, first ‘commendatario’ abbot, a highly educated Greek scolar (1462). |
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Corso del Popolo, 128 - 00046 Grottaferrata (Rome) ITALY - Phone 0039.06.9459309 - Fax 0039.06.9456734