Alferius ( it, Sant'Alferio) (930–1050) was an Italian

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The ...

and saint.

Life

Alferius was born in Salerno to the noble Pappacarbona family. He spent many years in service to Guaimar. Prince of Salerno. In 1002 Alferius was named to head a delegation from his city to King Robert II of France. Taking ill during the journey, he convalesced at the monastery of S. Michele della Chiusa. While there, he met

Odilo of Cluny Odilo of Cluny (c. 962 – 1 January 1049) was the fifth Benedictine Abbot of Cluny, holding the post for around 54 years. During his tenure Cluny became the most important monastery in western Europe. Odilo actively worked to reform the monastic ...

and vowed to become a monk himself if he recovered. He spent some time at Cluny before returning to Salerno. Around 1020, he withdrew to the foot of Monte Finestra, southwest of Cava, where he lived a life of contemplation and prayer. At the beginning of the 11th century, a nucleus of hermit monks, attracted by the famed saintliness of Alferius, joined him. In 1101, he founded the monastery of

La Trinità della Cava La Trinità della Cava ( la, Abbatia Territorialis Sanctissimae Trinitatis Cavensis), commonly known as Badia di Cava, is a Benedictine territorial abbey located near Cava de' Tirreni, in the province of Salerno, southern Italy. It stands in a go ...

. It followed the Benedictine rule.

Veneration

The first four abbots of Cava were officially recognized as saints on December 21, 1893, by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

.San Constabile (Costabile)
/ref> The first four abbots are Alferius;

Leo I The LEO I (Lyons Electronic Office I) was the first computer used for commercial business applications. The prototype LEO I was modelled closely on the Cambridge EDSAC. Its construction was overseen by Oliver Standingford, Raymond Thompson and ...

(1050–79);

Peter of Pappacarbone Peter of Pappacarbone ( it, San Pietro di Pappacarbone) (died 4 March 1123) was an Italian abbot, bishop, and saint. He was abbot of La Trinità della Cava, located at Cava de' Tirreni. Born in Salerno, he had first been a monk at Cava under Leo ...

(1079–1123); and

Constabilis Constabilis ( it, San Constabile, San Costabile) ( 1070 – 1124) was an Italian abbot and saint. He was abbot of La Trinità della Cava, located at Cava de' Tirreni, from 1122 to 1124. Biography He was born around 1070 at Tresino, in Lucania (c ...

Notes

Bibliography

Joseph Ratzinger Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...

: ''Sainti. Gli autentici apologeti della Chiesa.'', Lindau Edizioni, Torino 2007.

External links

San AlferioAlferius of La Cava
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alferius 930 births 1050 deaths Italian abbots Italian Benedictines 11th-century Italian clergy 11th-century Christian saints People from Salerno Medieval Italian saints

Life

Veneration

See also

Notes

Bibliography

External links