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 River Magra. Geology In 1977, the Italian geologist Augusto Azzaroli discovered a series of mammal rests with a correlated f ...

province of Massa-Carrara The province of Massa-Carrara ( it, provincia di Massa-Carrara) is a province in the Tuscany region of central Italy. It is named after the provincial capital Massa, and Carrara, the other main town in the province. History The province of "Ma ...

, region of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

, Italy, is a former

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

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

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

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

Caprasius of Lérins Saint Caprasius, sometimes Caprasius of Lérins ( fr , Caprais; 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 ...

(''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 Massa ...

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 of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

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 {{Italy-RC-church-stub