Leo Marsicanus (meaning "of the

Marsi The Marsi were an Italic people of ancient Italy, whose chief centre was Marruvium, on the eastern shore of Lake Fucinus (which was drained for agricultural land in the late 19th century). The area in which they lived is now called Marsica. ...

") or Ostiensis (meaning "of Ostia"), also known as Leone dei Conti di Marsi (1046,

Marsica Marsica is a geographical and historical region in the Abruzzo, central Italy, including 37 ''comuni'' in the province of L'Aquila. It is located between the plain of the former Fucine Lake, the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise, the plai ...

– 1115/7, Ostia), was a nobleman and monk of

Monte Cassino Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Latin Valley, Italy, west of Cassino and at an elevation of . Site of the Roman town of Casinum, it is widely known for its abbey, the first h ...

around 1061 and Italian

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

from the 12th century. In Monte Cassino, he became a friend of Desiderius of Benevento, later

Pope Victor III Pope Victor III ( 1026 – 16 September 1087), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 May 1086 to his death. He was the successor of Pope Gregory VII, yet his pontificate is far less notable than his time as D ...

, and it was to him that Leo dedicated his most famous work as an historian and chronicler, being a librarian: the ''Chronica Monasterii Casinensis''. The chronicler depends largely on Amatus' earlier work, but also on oral traditions and other archives. Leo finished it at 1075; it is continued by other monastic librarian

Peter the Deacon Peter the Deacon, la, Petrus Diaconus (fl. 1115–1159) was the librarian of the abbey of Montecassino and continuator of the ''Chronicon monasterii Casinensis'', usually called the Monte Cassino Chronicle in English. The chronicle was original ...

Pope Urban II Pope Urban II ( la, Urbanus II; – 29 July 1099), otherwise known as Odo of Châtillon or Otho de Lagery, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 March 1088 to his death. He is best known for convening th ...

created him

cardinal deacon A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

in 1088 with the deaconry of ''Ss. Vito e Modesto''. In 1101,

Pope Paschal II Pope Paschal II ( la, Paschalis II; 1050 1055 – 21 January 1118), born Ranierius, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 August 1099 to his death in 1118. A monk of the Abbey of Cluny, he was cre ...

promoted him

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of Ostia. In 1105 he was appointed cardinal - bishop of

Velletri Velletri (; la, Velitrae; xvo, Velester) is an Italian ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, approximately 40 km to the southeast of the city centre, located in the Alban Hills, in the region of Lazio, central Italy. Neighbouring com ...

until his death.

Sources

* Norwich, John Julius. ''The Normans in the South 1016-1130''. Longmans:

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, 1967. * *

External links

*''Chronicon Monasterii Casinensis''
Leo Marsicanus, Cardinalis: ''Chronica Monasterii Casinensis''
Italian chroniclers 1046 births 12th-century Italian cardinals Cardinal-bishops of Ostia 12th-century Italian historians 1110s deaths 12th-century Latin writers 11th-century Italian cardinals {{Catholic-Church-stub