Cassino () is a ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' in the

province of Frosinone The Province of Frosinone ( it, Provincia di Frosinone) is a province in the Lazio region of Italy, with 91 '' comuni'' (singular: ''comune''; see Comuni of the Province of Frosinone). Its capital is the city of Frosinone. It has an area o ...

, Southern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, at the southern end of the region of

Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, the last city of the

Latin Valley Valle Latina (''Latin Valley'') is an Italian geographical and historical region that extends from the south of Rome to Cassino, corresponding to the eastern area of ancient Roman Latium. The valley's principal cities are Frosinone, Cassino, ...

. Cassino is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Gari and Liri rivers. The city is best known as the site of the

Abbey of Montecassino An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The conc ...

and the Battle of Monte Cassino during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, which resulted in huge Allied and German casualties as well as the near total destruction of the town itself. It is also home to the

University of Cassino The University of Cassino and Southern Lazio ( it, Università degli Studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale) is an Italian public research university located in Cassino, Italy. It was established in 1979. Organization The University of Cassino ...

. Cassino has a population of 35,969 , making it the second largest town in the province.

History

Ancient

Cassino's roots lie in the settlement of

Casinum Casinum was an ancient town of Italy, of Oscan origin. Varro states that the name in Oscan language meant ''forum vetus'' ("old forum"), and also that the town itself was Samnite before the Roman conquest. Casinum was a Samnite city only ...

, the last city of the Latins, of

Umbrian Umbrian is an extinct Italic language formerly spoken by the Umbri in the ancient Italian region of Umbria. Within the Italic languages it is closely related to the Oscan group and is therefore associated with it in the group of Osco-Umbrian ...

Venetic Venetic is an extinct Indo-European language, usually classified into the Italic subgroup, that was spoken by the Veneti people in ancient times in northeast Italy (Veneto and Friuli) and part of modern Slovenia, between the Po Delta and ...

Oscan Oscan is an extinct Indo-European language of southern Italy. The language is in the Osco-Umbrian or Sabellic branch of the Italic languages. Oscan is therefore a close relative of Umbrian. Oscan was spoken by a number of tribes, including t ...

origin, sited atop the hill of Cassino near Monte Cairo, five kilometres to the north. Casinum passed under the control of the Volscians first and then the Samnites, Eventually Sabini (a Volsci branch and Umbrian/Venetic origins) were defeated by the Romans that gained control of Casinum and its territory (''ager casinas''), establishing a fortified

Latin colony A Roman (plural ) was originally a Roman outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of a Roman city. It is also the origin of the modern term ''colony''. Characteri ...

there in 312 BC, Interamna Lirenas. During the

Roman era In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

the most venerated god was Apollo, whose temple rose up on Monte Cassino, where today stands the abbey. At least once during Punic Wars, Hannibal passed near Casinum. Casinum was also the site of a villa presumed to belong to Marcus Terentius Varro. Monte Cassino Opactwo 1

Medieval

The ancient Casinum was deeply damaged by several barbarian raids. In the book '' Dialogues'',

Pope Gregory I Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregoria ...

gives us the testimony of the Benedict of Nursia settlement among the ruins of Casinum Acropolis. He destroyed the image of Apollo and pagan altars, and sanctified the place in name of St. John Baptist. From that moment on, he would never leave Monte Cassino: he founded the monastery that became a model for the Western monasticism and one of the major cultural centers of Europe throughout the Middle Ages and wrote the " Rule", containing precepts for his monks. In the meanwhile the population built a village called ''Castellum Sancti Petri''. Because of their strategic position, the abbey and the village were involved in military events. In 577 a raid of the

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...

, led by Zotto, forced the monks to leave Monte Cassino to seek refuge in Rome. They came back only after more than a century. In 744, thanks to the donation of Gisulf II of Benevento, the monastery became the capital of a new state, called Terra Sancti Benedicti ("Land of Saint Benedict"). Few years later the town was re-founded by Abbot Bertharius and called ''Eulogimenopolis'', meaning "city of Saint Benedict" in Greek. In 883 the monastery and the town were again attacked, this time by Saracens, and Bertharius was killed along with some other monks. The abbey was again rebuilt in 949 by the decision of Pope Agapetus II and, together with the town, renamed San Germano (after Saint Germanus of Capua), began to experience a prosperous period. For defensive purposes, the castle Rocca Janula, which still dominates the town today, was also built. In the abbey are conserved the '' Placiti Cassinesi'', dated 960–963, considered the first documents ever written in the Italian language. The abbey of San Germano had ceased to exist by the time of Abbot Richerius (1038–1055), when it was a parish church under an archpriest. On July 23, 1230, the city was the site of the signing of the peace between Pope Gregory IX and Frederick II, which took place in the church of San Germano. On 9 September 1349, San Germano was destroyed by a large earthquake, which also seriously damaged the abbey. The reconstruction took place in 1366, at Pope Urbano V's will.

Modern era

During the Renaissance era Cassino lay on the northern frontier of the Kingdom of Naples, which was dominated by

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. In 1504, during the Second Italian War, the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

attempted to capture the town in the Battle of Cassino, but failed. On May 15–17, 1815, the town was the set of the final cruel battle of the

Neapolitan War The Neapolitan War, also known as the Austro-Neapolitan War, was a conflict between the Napoleonic Kingdom of Naples and the Austrian Empire. It started on 15 March 1815 when King Joachim Murat declared war on Austria and ended on 20 May 1815 ...

between an Austrian force commanded by

Laval Nugent von Westmeath Laval Graf Nugent von Westmeath (3 November 1777 – 21 August 1862) was a soldier of Irish birth, who fought in the armies of Austria and the Two Sicilies. Biography Born at Ballynacor, Ireland, Nugent was the son of Count Michael Anton N ...

and the King of Naples, Joachim Murat. The so-called " Battle of San Germano" ended with the Austrian victory. On July 28, 1863 the name of the town was officially reverted to "Cassino". In the same year the town was reached by the rail system. Cassino was part of the Province Terra di Lavoro (meaning "Land of Work") until 1927, when the Province of Frosinone was founded. On May 21, 1930 a cable car leading from the town to the Abbey in 7 minutes, covering a vertical drop of over 400 metres, was inaugurated. Monte Cassino

World War II and afterwards

, after southern Italy was invaded by the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

, the Germans entrenched around the German Gustav Line, which, in its southern tip, was anchored around the mountains behind Cassino. The town was therefore the site of fierce fighting in the Battles of Monte Cassino. On 15 February 1944 the Abbey was destroyed by a heavy aerial bombardment. The Allies, believing that the Abbey was a strategic position occupied by the Germans, bombed it, killing many of the people who had taken refuge. The works of art contained in the Abbey were transferred to Rome by the Germans before the bombing, but many disappeared on the way. On 15 March, the town was completely razed to the ground by aerial bombardment and artillery fire, followed by an unsuccessful Allied attack. 2,026 civilians, one-tenth of the town's entire population of 20,000, were killed by the bombing and fighting before and during the battles of Cassino. The reconstruction lasted until the 1960s. During the months following the end of the war, the area was afflicted by a malaria epidemic. However, the population received also great solidarity from the rest of Italy in terms of donations and hospitality: many children were hosted by families in northern Italy in the years after the war. Cassino earned the

Gold Medal of Military Valour The Gold Medal of Military Valour ( it, Medaglia d'oro al valor militare) is an Italian medal established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia for deeds of outstanding gallantry in war by junior officers and soldiers. The f ...

, and had three war cemeteries built: the " Cassino War Cemetery", housing the Commonwealth victims, the Polish Cemetery and the Germanic Cemetery. The economy of the area was helped by the industrialization started with the settlement of the Fiat Cassino Plant and its satellite firms, the SKF plant and several paper factories as well as by the establishment of the

. Today the town is commercially developed, even though it has suffered in recent years from the crisis of the automotive sectors.

Geography

Cassino is located at the southern end of the region of

and at the northern end of the historical region called

Terra di Lavoro Terra di Lavoro (Liburia in Latin) is the name of a historical region of Southern Italy. It corresponds roughly to the modern southern Lazio and northern Campania and upper north west and west border area of Molise regions of Italy. In Itali ...

. The city centre is set in a valley at the foot of Monte Cassino and Monte Cairo. Cassino is distant from

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, from

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...

, from the coast ( Gulf of Gaeta) and from the Parco nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise. The town is crossed by the rivers Gari and Rapido that join themselves in the area of the Varronian Thermal Baths; forward, in the ''

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a '' comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate terri ...

'' of Sant'Angelo in Theodice, the Gari joins the Liri, becoming Garigliano, the river that marks the border between the regions

and

Campania (man), it, Campana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demog ...

Climate

Because of its valley location, Cassino is often foggy in the winter, with chilly rainfall. Summers are generally quite warm and humid.

Main sights

Abbey of Monte Cassino

Founded by St. Benedict in 529, the Abbey of Monte Cassino is one of the most famous monasteries in the world and is the source of the Benedictine Order. It has been destroyed four times in its millennial history, the last time in 1944 by Allied bombing. It has been rebuilt ''"Com'era, dov'era"'' (''"How it was, where it was"'') after the war, and reconsecrated by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

in 1964.

Archaeological sites

Roman city * Roman theatre: still used in the summer for events, shows and concerts. * Roman amphitheatre * Part of the historical Via Latina * Mausoleum of Ummidia Quadratilla * Rocca Janula: a castle overlooking the city, which was one of Abbey's historical strongholds. Recently restored, it is not visitable.

War Cemeteries

* Cassino War Cemetery * German War Cemetery * Polish Cemetery

Natural areas

* Villa Comunale: it is the main public park in the town. * Baden Powell Park: second public park, that host the main non profit associations and clubs in the town. * Varronian Thermal Baths: thermal area located where there used to be Marcus Terentius Varro's villa.

Museums

* Historiale: Second World War multimedial museum, created by Carlo Rambaldi. * National Archaeological Museum "G.Carrettoni" * CAMUSAC: museum of contemporary art.

Economy

Cassino's economy is based on industry and tertiary. The Fiat Chrysler Plant and its satellite firms employs a significant part of the population. As a consequence, the economy is strongly influenced by the automotive sector's trends, as experienced from the recent crisis. In Cassino there is also an SKF plant and several paper mills and marble factories. The weekly market that occur every Sunday, is also an attraction of people from the surrounding municipalities. Cassino is also home to a Courthouse.

Education

Cassino hosts the

with the faculties of Economics, Law, Languages and Physical Education located in the Campus and the faculties of Engineering and Literature located in the city centre. Cassino also hosts branches of the Sapienza University of Rome and the

University of Rome Tor Vergata Tor Vergata University of Rome, also known as the University of Rome II ( it, Università degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata"), is a public research university located in Rome, Italy. Located in the southeastern suburb of Rome, the university combine ...

for the degrees in Physiotherapy and Nursing. University of Cassino and Southern Lazio with a score of 66.8 points is ranked #1711 among the world's best universities by cwur.org.

Transport

Being in a crossroads among the regions

, Abruzzo and

Molise it, Molisano (man) it, Molisana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 ...

, Cassino has always been a strategic hub for transports and communications.

Roads

* Autostrada A1: motorway (tollway) that links

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

and

. * SS509: highway that links Cassino with Formia (to the coast) and Sora.

Rail

The town of Cassino is along the Rome–Cassino–Naples railway line. It is also linked with Abruzzo and Apulia. Cassino is served by two stations: * Cassino station: opened in 1863, is the main railway station. It is located in the city centre. * Fontanarosa-Cervaro station: is a railway station located in the South part of the town, which mainly serves the locality called Fontana Rosa and the municipality of

Cervaro Cervaro is a town and '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Frosinone in the Italian region Lazio. It is located in the Liri valley, about southeast of Rome and about southeast of Frosinone. Cervaro borders the following municipalities ...

Bus

The companies Magni and Mastrantoni provides services into the city centre. Cotral links the town with other municipalities in

, CLP with

and ATM with

Sports

Cassino's main football team is A.S.D. Cassino Calcio 1924 that currently plays in

Serie D The Serie D () is the top level of semi-professional football in the country. The fourth tier of the Italian league system, the competition sits beneath the third professional league, Serie C. It is administered by the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti ...

, the fourth division. In its best seasons the team used to play in Serie C2 and Lega Pro Seconda Divisione. The club plays in the stadium "Gino Salveti". The main basketball team is Virtus Terra di San Benedetto Cassino. It plays in Divisione Nazionale B. In the past the Basket Cassino reached the Serie B league. The team has been also guided by coach Sergei Belov.

Twin cities

Cassino is twinned with: * Steglitz-Zehlendorf (borough of

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

, since 1969Twinning association of Steglitz-Zehlendorf
/ref> * Zamość,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

, since 1969 *

Falaise Falaise may refer to: Places * Falaise, Ardennes, France * Falaise, Calvados, France ** The Falaise pocket was the site of a battle in the Second World War * La Falaise, in the Yvelines ''département'', France * The Falaise escarpment in Quebec ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, since 1974 * Tychy,

, since 1977 * Užice,

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...

since 1981 * North York,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, since 1987 * Karlovy Vary,

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

, since 1991 * Ortona,

, since 1991 *

Casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, since 1997 *

Cavarzere Cavarzere (; vec, Cavàrzere) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Venice in the Italian region of Veneto, located about southwest of Venice. Neighbouring municipalities of Cavarzere are: Adria, Agna, Anguillara Venet ...

, since 1998 * Senglea,

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, since 2003 *

Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 2009 ...

, since 2005 * Olinda,

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, since 2006

People

Arturo Gatti Arturo Gatti (April 15, 1972 – July 11, 2009) was an Italian-Canadian professional boxer who competed from 1991 to 2007. A world champion in two weight classes, Gatti held the IBF junior lightweight title from 1995 to 1998, and the WBC super ...

, Canadian professional boxer, was born in Cassino. * Marcus Terentius Varro, ancient Roman scholar and writer, had a villa in Cassino. * Benedict of Nursia, Christian saint, patron of Cassino and Europe, founded the abbey of Montecassino. * Scholastica, Christian saint, founded the female Benedictine Order in Cassino. * Bertharius, Christian martyr and saint, abbot of Montecassino. * Richard of San Germano, notary and historian, was born in Cassino. *

Pope Gregory IX Pope Gregory IX ( la, Gregorius IX; born Ugolino di Conti; c. 1145 or before 1170 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decre ...

, pope, signed the peace with Frederick II in Cassino. * Leopold VI, Duke of Austria, died in Cassino. * Piero de' Medici, politician, governor of Cassino. * Philip Neri, priest, had his religious conversion in Cassino. *

Giuseppe Moscati Giuseppe Moscati (25 July 1880 – 12 April 1927) was an Italian doctor, scientific researcher, and university professor noted both for his pioneering work in biochemistry and for his piety. Moscati was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1987 ...

, doctor, scientific researcher, and university professor, lived in Cassino. * Antonio Labriola, philosopher, was born in Cassino. *

Michael Valente Michael Valente (February 5, 1895 – January 10, 1976) was an Italian-born American soldier who served the United States Army in World War I. He received the United States military's highest decorationthe Medal of Honorfor his actions in Franc ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

recipient. * Severino Gazzelloni, flute player, died in Cassino. *

Dante Troisi Dante Troisi (April 21, 1920 – January 2, 1989) was an Italian writer and magistrate. His writings primarily deal with the cultural and sociological woes of Italy following World War II. Much of his literature draws on issues raised through ...

, magistrate in Cassino. * Vittorio Miele, painter. * Francesco Storace, politician, was born in Cassino. *

Gino Matrundola Gino Matrundola (born July 21, 1940) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1990. He represented the riding of Willowdale. Background Matrundola was born in Cass ...

, former Canadian

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, ...

. * Sergei Belov, former professional basketball player, coach of Basket Cassino in 1991-1993. * Pietro Mennea, established the world record in the distance 150 m. in Cassino; * Domenico Di Carlo, former professional football player and manager, was born in Cassino. * Dino Lenny, DJ, singer, record producer and record label owner, lived in Cassino. * Trevor Trevisan, professional football player, was born in Cassino. * Angelo Ogbonna, professional football player, was born in Cassino.

References

External links

Historiale Museum of Cassino

News Cassino
{{authority control Cities and towns in Lazio