Chronica Monasterii Casinensis (Latin Edition)

The great medieval chronicle of Monte Cassino, presented in its original Latin.

The Chronica Monasterii Casinensis is one of the most important narrative sources for the history of medieval southern Italy and the Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino.

Begun by Leo Marsicanus—also known as Leo of Ostia—the chronicle traces the history of the monastery from its foundation by Saint Benedict through centuries of destruction, restoration, political upheaval, and monastic renewal. Leo’s narrative reaches its culmination in the extraordinary abbacy of Desiderius, later Pope Victor III, under whom Monte Cassino became one of the greatest centers of religious, artistic, and intellectual life in eleventh-century Europe.

The unfinished work was continued by Peter the Deacon, who carried the history into the twelfth century, recording the monastery’s relations with popes, emperors, Norman rulers, bishops, nobles, and the communities of southern Italy.

Across four books, the Chronica preserves accounts of warfare and diplomacy, monastic government, saints and relics, churches and works of art, charters and property, Norman expansion, papal politics, and the extraordinary material and spiritual culture of medieval Monte Cassino.

This Nicholean Press Latin reading edition presents the complete four-book chronicle in a newly typeset and textually reviewed edition, together with an intermediate Latin glossary and comprehensive indexes of persons and places.

Features include:

• Complete Latin text of Books I–IV
• Clear identification of the continuation by Peter the Deacon
• Intermediate glossary of medieval Latin vocabulary
• Index Nominum
• Index Locorum
• Carefully preserved medieval Latin orthography
• Newly typeset 6 × 9 reading edition