Aulla-abbazia di san caprasio-complesso1

The Abbey of San Caprasio in

Aulla Aulla is a ''comune'' in the province of Massa and Carrara, Tuscany, central Italy. It is located in the valley of the Magra, River Magra. Geology In 1977, the Italian geologist Augusto Azzaroli discovered a series of mammal rests with a correl ...

province of Massa-Carrara The province of Massa-Carrara () is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is named after the provincial capital Massa, and Carrara, the other main town in the province. History The province of "Massa e Carrara" was born in 1859 from ...

, region of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, Italy, is a former

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monastery, established as a hostel on the pilgrimage route to Rome. It was originally dedicated to the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

(''Santa Maria''), but in 1077 was re-dedicated to Saint

Caprasius of Lérins Caprasius, sometimes Caprasius of Lérins (; died 430), was a hermit who lived in Lérins, Provence. Caprasius was born sometime in the fourth century in Gaul. He came from a rich and distinguished family, but gave up great worldly prospects t ...

(''San Caprasio''), the patron saint of the town and a patron saint of pilgrims. The abbey was founded in 884 within a fortification held by

Adalbert I, Margrave of Tuscany Adalbert I (c. 820 – 886{{cite book , first=Chris , last=Wickham , year=1990 , title=Early Medieval Italy: Central Power and Local Society 400-1000 , publisher=University of Michigan Press , isbn=978-0-472-08099-1 , page=59 ) was the Margra ...

. It later was linked to the

Malaspina family The House of Malaspina was a noble Italian family of Longobard origin that descended from Boniface I, Margrave of Tuscany, Boniface I, through the Obertenghi line, that ruled Lunigiana from the 13th to the 14th centuries, and the Province of Mas ...

and also contested by the Vescovi Conti of Luni. It was powerful by the early 13th century, owning various parishes and land in the area. The monastery was suppressed at the end of the 18th century during the Napoleonic occupation, but the church remains. It was reconstructed in 1070 on the present layout, but has undergone many further reconstructions over the centuries. It now serves as a museum and a hostel affiliated with the local parish. Although it is deconsecrated, it houses the

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

of Saint Caprasius, which were discovered during archaeological investigations in 2003.San Caprasio
official site

References

Roman Catholic churches in Sarzana Baroque architecture in Tuscany 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Monasteries in Liguria Aulla {{Liguria-RC-church-stub