The abbey of San Vincenzo al Volturno is a historic Benedictine abbey located in the territory of the municipalities of Castel San Vincenzo and Rocchetta a Volturno in the Province of Isernia, in the Upper Volturno Valley.
Abbazia di San Vincenzo al Volturno History
At the foot of the high peaks of the Mainarde, on the banks of the lively and primeval waters of the Volturno River, stands the ancient Abbey of San Vincenzo al Volturno which has impressed, over the centuries, its sign of culture and testimony of faith in the events of the entire valley.
Immediately after his birth, in 703, the Benedictine monastery began a path of expansion which culminated in the glorious phase of the Carolingian empire. A rapid and imposing growth development which was also followed by a rapid decline. Already in the first half of the 9th century, the first signs of difficulty reached the community and their monastery.
Above all, the incursion of a horde of particularly bloody Saracen from 881 may represent the abrupt transition from the ascent to the decline phase which culminates with the abandonment of the original site and the move to the opposite bank of the river. Here too, where the new abbey stands today, a difficult story shapes the life stages of the new and smaller community while, on the other side of the river, centuries of silence erase all visual traces of the ancient abbey.
Despite its impetuous history, the torch of San Vincenzo al Volturno never went out and the last century saw the rebirth of the Abbey with the return of a monastic community at the monastery.
Today the new monastery welcomes a further Benedictine community which is about to open another chapter of the rich and eventful history of San Vincenzo al Volturno. The structures of the guesthouse are open to all those who wish to experience a few days of rest in body and spirit.