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Caption: Montecassino A pilgrim's destination
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Caption: The Abbey at Montecassino is a place of haunting beauty.
The present-day cathedral of Montecassino is the 4th church to stand on the site, previously that of a pagan temple.
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Caption: Pilgrims walking the Cammino di San Benedetto receive their Testimonium at Montecassino.
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Caption: The first Montecassino church was built by Saint Benedict in the 6th century.
Here, he wrote the defining text for monasticism in the West, the Rule of St. Benedict.
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Caption: A bronze commemorating the saint's death in 547 stands in the forecourt of the abbey.
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Caption: In the 8th century, Charlemagne promoted St. Benedict's Rule throughout Western Europe.
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Caption: The church has been built, rebuilt, and expanded over the centuries, most recently following World War II and its destruction during the 1944 Battle of Montecassino.
The post-war reconstruction maintained historical elements, incorporated into the cathedral's 17th-18th century design.
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Caption: The tomb of St. Benedict and St. Scholastica has survived centuries of destruction and wartime bombardment.
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Caption: In February 1944, Allied bombers obliterated the monastery, believing it to be a German military command post.
After the bombing, Polish soldiers were largely responsible for liberating Montecassino. More than 1,000 of them are buried in the Polish cemetery just below the Abbey.
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Caption: By 1960s, the Abbey was restored to its former architectural glory.
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Caption: The Cammino di San Benedetto is one of the Italian Wonder Ways.
See more from our walk along the Cammino on Anita's Feast.
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@tomfaklerphoto as we travel
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