Casamari Abbey

Casamari Abbey is a Cistercian monastery in Frosinone, Lazio, Italy, about 10 km east-southeast of Veroli. Built mainly between 1203 and 1217, it is one of Italy’s best-preserved examples of early Gothic architecture, second only to Fossanova Abbey.

The abbey follows a French Cistercian plan, with a double-arched gate, a cloistered garden, and a basilica-style church with alabaster windows. The choir was added in 1954 by Vincenzo Domenico De Donatis and his sons.

The site was once Cereatae, birthplace of Gaius Marius. Founded as a Benedictine monastery in the 9th century, it prospered under Abbot Giovanni in the 11th century. In the 12th century, under St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s reform, it became the 29th Cistercian foundation of Cîteaux.

Rebuilt between 1203–1217, the abbey suffered in 1417 during Queen Joanna II’s assault and declined under commendatory abbots from 1430. Reforms in 1717 introduced Trappist influence. In 1799, French soldiers martyred six monks, including Prior Simon Cardon. Suppressed in 1811, the community revived in 1814 under the Holy See.

By the 19th century, Casamari oversaw nearby monasteries and became an autonomous congregation. The Holy See recognized the Cistercian Congregation of Casamari in 1929. Father Felix Mary Ghebreamlak, an Ethiopian monk trained there, inspired its first overseas mission in Ethiopia (1940). Later foundations followed in Brazil and the U.S. Today, the congregation has about 200 monks. The abbey church became a minor basilica in 1957.

Address
Strada Provinciale 278 81, Casamari, Italy

Established
1203-1217