Abbey of Fruttuaria
Fruttuaria is an abbey in the territory of San Benigno Canavese, about twenty kilometers north of Turin, northern Italy.
History
The foundation of the abbey was patronized by
Empress Agnes was a patron of Fruttuaria, and retired there in 1065 before moving to Rome. The Empress was instrumental in introducing Fruttuaria's Benedictine customs, as practiced at Cluny, to Saint Blaise Abbey in Baden-Württemberg.[1]
The greatest splendor of the abbey of Fruttuaria was in the 12th and 13th centuries when it
monks inhabited the monastery
.
In the 14th century, decline set in, culminating in 1477 when the monks lost their privilege of naming the
in commendam and a vicar to represent him at the site was thenceforth a papal perquisite. In 1585 Pope Sixtus V
suppressed the monastery, substituting in its buildings a college of secular priests. The last monk died in 1634.
In 1710 troops of
duke of Savoy
, occupied the terre abbaziali, an occupation that lasted until 1741 and only ended with papal renunciation of all territorial control.
In 1749, a new abbot held Fruttuaria in commendam,
Mario Quarini. The original church had three naves and a large transept with multiple chapels in the apse. In 1979, work involved in installing heating brought to light an 11th-century mosaic representing two griffons
with plant decorations. Excavations have revealed the foundations of the Romanesque church. Restorations were concluded in May 2004.
The present church has a classic temple like facade with a triangular tympanum supported by large corinthian columns
References
- ISBN 9780521545907
Sources
- Viola, Luciano (1981). L'Abbazia di Fruttuaria e il Comune di San Benigno Canavese. Ivrea.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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