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| Farfa Abbey | |
|---|---|
 View of the Abbey | |
 Farfa Abbey | |
| 42°13′16.66″N12°43′7.27″E / 42.2212944°N 12.7186861°E /42.2212944; 12.7186861 | |
| Location | Farfa,Fara in Sabina |
| Country | Italy |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | Official website |
| History | |
| Status | Territorial abbey |
| Dedication | Holy Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Carolingian,Baroque |
| Completed | 913 |
| Administration | |
| Province | Rieti |
| Diocese | Rieti |
Farfa | |
|---|---|
 The main street of the hamlet below the abbey | |
  Farfa Location of Farfa in Italy | |
| Coordinates:42°13′16.66″N12°43′7.27″E / 42.2212944°N 12.7186861°E /42.2212944; 12.7186861 | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region |  Lazio |
| Province | Rieti (RI) |
| Comune | Fara in Sabina |
| Elevation | 138 m (453 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 42 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 02032 |
| Dialing code | (+39) 0765 |
Farfa Abbey (Italian:Abbazia di Farfa) is aterritorial abbey in northernLazio, central Italy. In theMiddle Ages, it was one of the richest and most famousabbeys in Italy. It belongs to theBenedictine Order and is located about 60 km (37 mi) fromRome, in thecomune (municipality) ofFara Sabina, of which it is also afrazione (hamlet).[1]
In 2016 it was added to the "tentative" list to be aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site, as part of a group of eight Italian medieval Benedictine monasteries, representing "The cultural landscape of the Benedictine settlements in medieval Italy".[2]
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A legend in the 12th-centuryChronicon Farfense (Chronicle of Farfa)[3] dates the founding of a monastery at Farfa to the time of the EmperorsJulian, orGratian, and attributes the founding toLaurence the Illuminator [nl], a Syrian who had come to Rome with his sister, Susannah, together with other monks, and had been madeBishop of Spoleto. According to the tradition, after being named bishop, he became enamoured of the monastic life, and chose a forested hill near the Farfa stream, a tributary of theTiber, to build a church and a monastery. Archaeological discoveries in 1888[4] find strong evidence that the first monastic establishment was built on the ruins of a pagan temple. This first monastery was devastated by theVandals in the fifth century. Only a handful of sixth-century finds document the early presence of the monastic community.[5]
In the seventh century, awave of Irish monasticism spread over Italy. The foundation theAbbey of Saint Columbanus inBobbio and of Farfa by monks fromGaul, about 681, heralded a revival of the great Benedictine tradition in Italy. TheConstructio Monasterii Farfensis, which dates probably from 857, relates at length the story of its principal founderThomas of Maurienne;[6] he had made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and spent three years there. While in prayer before the Holy Sepulchre, the Virgin Mary in a vision warned him to return to Italy, and restore Farfa; and theDuke of Spoleto.Faroald II, who had also had a vision, was commanded to aid in this work. At a very early date traces of this legend appear in connexion with the foundation by three nobles fromBenevento of the monastery of St Vincent on theVolturno, over which Farfa claimed jurisdiction. Thomas died in 720; and for more than a centuryFrankish abbots ruled at Farfa.
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The Lombard chiefs, and later theCarolingians, succeeded in withdrawing Farfa from obedience to the Bishops ofRieti, and in securing many immunities and privileges for the monastery. According to theChronicon Farfense, with the exception of theAbbey of Nonatola, Farfa was at this period the most important monastery in Italy both from the point of view of worldly riches and ecclesiastical dignity. In 898, the abbey was sacked bySaracens who then burned it.[7]
Between 930 and 936, Farfa was rebuilt by AbbotRatfredus, who was afterwards poisoned by two wicked monks,Campo[8] andHildebrand,[9] who divided the wealth of the abbey between them, and ruled over it untilAlberic II of Spoleto, Prince of the Romans, called inOdo of Cluny to reform Farfa and other monasteries in theDuchy of Rome.[9] Campo was exiled, and a holy monk with the Merovingian name ofDagibert took his place. At the end of five years, he also died by poison—and the moral condition of Farfa was once more deplorable.[9] The monks robbed the altars of their ornaments, and led lives of unbridled vice.
Owing to the protection of theEmperor Otto I, the abbotJohn III, who had been consecrated circa 967 by the pope, succeeded in re-establishing a semblance of order. But the great reformer of Farfa wasHugues (998–1010). His nomination as abbot was not secured without simony—but the success of his government palliates the vice of his election. At this instance, abbotsOdilo of Cluny andWilliam of Dijon, visited Farfa, and re-established there the love of piety and of study.
TheConsuetudines Farfenses drawn up about 1010 under the supervision ofGuido, successor to Hugues of Farfa, bear witness to the care with which Hugues organized the monastic life at Farfa. Under the titleDestructio Monasterii, Hugues himself wrote a history of the sad period previous to his rule; and again under the titleDiminutio Monasterii, andQuerimonium, he related the temporal difficulties that encompassed Farfa owing to the ambition of petty Roman lords. These works are very important for the historian of the period.
One of Hugue's successors,Berard I, abbot from 1049 to 1089, made the abbey a great seat of intellectual activity. The monkGregory of Catino (born 1060) arranged the archives. To substantiate Farfa's claims and the rights of its monks, he edited theRegesto di Farfa, orLiber Gemniagraphus sive Cleronomialis ecclesiæ Farfensis composed of 1324 documents, all very important for the history of Italian society in the 11th century.
In 1103, Gregory wrote theLargitorium, orLiber Notarius sive emphiteuticus, a lengthy list of all the concessions, or grants, made by the monastery to its tenants. Having collected all this detailed information, he set to work on a history of the monastery, theChronicon Farfense; and when he was 70 years old, in order to facilitate reference to his earlier works, he compiled a sort of index which he styled "Liber Floriger Chartarum cenobii Farfensis". Gregory was a man of real learning, remarkable in that, as early as the eleventh century, he wrote history with accuracy of view-point, and a great wealth of information.
The monks of Farfa owned 683 churches or convents; two towns, Centumcellæ (Civitavecchia) andAlatri; 132 castles; 16 strongholds; 7seaports; 8salt mines; 14 villages; 82 mills; 315 hamlets. All this wealth was a hindrance to the religious life once more. Between 1119 and 1125, Farfa was troubled by the rivalries between Abbot Guido, and the monk Berard who aimed at being abbot. During theInvestiture conflict, Farfa was, more or less, on the side of theGhibellines.[10] The monks issued anOrthodoxa defensio imperialis in support of the Ghibelline party. The collection of canonical texts contained in theRegesto seems to omit purposely any mention of the canonical texts of the reforming popes of the 11th century. But when, in 1262, the victory of the popes over thelast of theHohenstaufen put an end to the Germanic rule in Italy, Farfa sought the protection ofUrban IV. At the end of the 14th century the Abbey of Farfa became acardinalatial in commendam, and since 1842 theCardinal Bishop of Sabina, a suburbicarian bishop, bears also the title of Abbot of Farfa.
TheOrsini family stayed to the early 16th century, consecrating the cathedral in 1494. They were succeeded by theDella Rovere, but the Orsini came back and stayed until 1542. Later the monastery was taken over by theFarnese family.Ranuccio Farnese (cardinal) was its abbot commendatory when in 1561 he commissioned the Flemish painterHendrick van den Broeck to create a large painting of theLast Judgememt for the Abbey.[11] Under the management of Ranuccio's brotherCardinal Alessandro Farnese, the monastery joined theCassinese Congregation (1567). During the next two centuries in spite of some restorations and new constructions Farfa lost all importance. The monastery was suppressed in 1798 followed another in 1861 by the new Kingdom of Italy.
Part of the possessions were sold to private citizens. Felice Giacomo Vitale was the previous owner who sold Farfa Abbey to Count Volpi (Vitale was a notable lawyer in Rome Turn of the 20th century. He was the same owner of villino Vitale in Via dei Gracchi, Rome). The heirs of the last owner, Count Volpi, donated part of the monastery owned by them and some land around it to the monks. In 1920, a group of monks sent byAlfredo Ildefonso Schuster, then Abbot of the Abbey of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome (attached to theBasilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls), gave new life to Farfa Abbey in establishing a monastic community, Farfa was declared a national monument but only much later were steps taken to reconstruct and repair the buildings.
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The cathedral has a hugeRomanesque gate, with magnificent floral friezes. The interior has three naves, and the middle one is surmounted with a lunette representing the Virgin and the Child. The Renaissance hall has several chapels: the most venerated image of Farfa is housed in the Crucifix Chapel. The interior wall of the façade has a large canvas depicting theLast Judgment (1571) by the Flemish painterHendrick van den Broeck.
Ruins of the ancient 9th century church are included in the church and the monastery. In 1961, in the apse, a precious Roman sarcophagus from the 1st or 2nd century AD was discovered. The large cloister is from the 16th century. Thebell tower belongs to the original Carolingian buildings. Inside, at the lower end, AbbotSichard had an oratory built.[12]
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Abbots commendatory:
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(interregnum)
The little medieval village of Farfa lies around the abbey and has a population of 42.[1]
Nearest railway station,Fara Sabina-Montelibretti, is located atPasso Corese and is 10 km (6.2 mi) from the abbey. The station is part of theRoman suburban railway lineFL1 Orte–Fiumicino.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Abbey of Farfa".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
