the abbey of montecassino, mother church of the benedectine order and a centre of medieval, was founded in 529 by st. benedict over the ruins of an ancient acropolis.
by the 8th century it was an important centre of learning, and by the 11th century had become one of the richest monasteries in europe.
in the 1944 it was a german stronghold and a target for allied bombs.
most of the complex was devastated, including the lavish baroque church, but the walls remained intact and the abbey withstood for three months before falling to the allies.
the adjoining war cemeteries commemorate the 30000 soldiers killed.