Benedictine Monasteries in Italy - Abbey of Monte Cassino, Battle of Monte Cassino, Walter M. Miller, Jr., a Canticle for Leibowitz, Farfa Abbey (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 47. Chapters: Abbey of Monte Cassino, Battle of Monte Cassino, Walter M. Miller, Jr., A Canticle for Leibowitz, Farfa Abbey, Days of Glory, Bobbio Abbey, Territorial Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, San Miniato al Monte, San Vincenzo al Volturno, Pomposa Abbey, Subiaco Abbey, Sacra di San Michele, San Giovanni in Venere Abbey, Nonantola Abbey, Abbazia di Sassovivo, St. Antimo's Abbey, Polirone Abbey, La Trinita della Cava, Innichen Abbey, San Giorgio Monastery, Marienberg Abbey, Casaluce, Basilica of San Saturnino, Saben Abbey, Vallombrosa Abbey, Fruttuaria, Polish cemetery at Monte Cassino, Gorgona Abbey, Cervara Abbey, Novalesa Abbey, San Siro di Struppa, Abbey of Frassinoro, Cassino Memorial, Santa Maria della Strada, San Zeno. Excerpt: The Battle of Monte Cassino (also known as the Battle for Rome and the Battle for Cassino) was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome. In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans holding the Rapido, Liri and Garigliano valleys and certain surrounding peaks and ridges, together known as the Gustav Line. The Germans had not occupied the historic hilltop abbey of Monte Cassino, founded in AD 524 by Benedict of Nursia and which dominated the town of Cassino and the entrances to the Liri and Rapido valleys, although they manned defensive positions set into the steep slopes below the abbey walls. On 15 February, the monastery, high on a peak overlooking the town of Cassino, was destroyed by 1,400 tons of bombs dropped by American bombers. The bombing was based on the fear that the abbey was being used as a lookout post for the German defenders (this position evolved over time to admit that German soldiers were not garrisoned there b...