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Church of St Martin in Cassino: a thousand years of monks and bombings
The Church of San Martino is situated in Cassino, in the heart of the "Land of St Benedict." Its origins date back to the 10th century, when the Dukes of Gaeta built a sacred building here dedicated to St John the Baptist. For centuries, it served as a cella of the Abbey of Montecassino—the term Benedictines used for small monasteries dependent on the mother house.
From monastery to parish
Between the late 14th and mid-15th centuries, the church changed its name to monasterium Sancti Martini, complete with monastic cells and defensive walls. In 1799, French troops devastated the site. Twenty years later, Bishop Francesco Buonomo breathed new life into it, and on November 3, 1819, he decreed the establishment of the parish.
Lost and found artworks
The interior once housed a 15th-century triptych depicting the Madonna del Riposo (Our Lady of Good Repose) between Saints Benedict and Germanus. In 1823, the painter Andrea Mattei restored it and painted a canvas of St Martin. Both works were destroyed during World War II when Cassino was razed to the ground in the 1944 bombings. Today, the apse features a Crucifixion fresco by Aldo Falso, a dramatic and modern work. The painting of St Martin is by G. Quadroni.
