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Rocca Janula in Cassino: A Thousand Years of History, Battles and Rebuildings
A few miles from the Abbey of Montecassino, Rocca Janula overlooks the town from a steep crag. Abbot Aligerno (949–986) commissioned it in the 10th century: it was not a residence, but a military castrum designed to protect the monastery and the settlement of San Germano (the medieval name for Cassino) from the relentless attacks on the Terra di San Benedetto (St Benedict’s Land).
Contested for a thousand years
Its history can be summed up in a single word: contested. Popes, emperors, rebellious citizens of San Germano and local lords all vied to wrest control from the abbots of Montecassino. Abbot Gerardo (1111–1123) recaptured it and added the 20-metre pentagonal tower in the courtyard. Frederick II had it demolished in 1221, then rebuilt it himself in 1229: the blocks bearing the incised marks of Swabian craftsmen are still legible. In 1742 the fortress came under the control of the State.
What can be seen today
During the Second World War it became a strongpoint on the Gustav Line: the fighting devastated the fortress, sparing only the pentagonal tower. Restored between 1996 and 2013, it has been open to the public since September 2015. The following can be visited: the Corte Grande (Great Courtyard), with the corner tower, rampart walk, round tower and the small Chiesa dell’Annunziata (Church of the Annunciation) with underground rooms. The Corte Piccola (Small Courtyard), with the Frederician tower, buried cisterns and original stepped ramp, is currently closed. The name remains uncertain: Janula may refer to Janus, or janua, “gate,” alluding to the fortress’s role as the gateway to Montecassino.
