This content was automatically translated. View the original text.
Library of the Abbey of San Martino al Cimino: the scriptorium in the Cimini Mountains
The Library of the Abbey of San Martino al Cimino is located in the monastery’s ancient scriptorium, a 13th-century hall where monks once copied manuscripts. It is situated in the hamlet of the same name near Viterbo, nestled among the beech and chestnut forests of the Cimini Mountains.
Eight centuries of history in one hall
The scriptorium dates back to the first half of the 13th century. Cistercian monks arrived here from Pontigny, France, at the behest of Pope Innocent III. The church was consecrated in 1225, and the monastic complex was completed by the end of the century. The hall features a rectangular plan, rib vaults resting on carved corbels, and three central columns, each formed by a bundle of smaller shafts featuring "water leaf" capitals. This Gothic-Burgundian architecture is very similar to the great abbeys of Fossanova and Casamari.
The Abbot’s Museum
Today, the scriptorium houses the Museo dell’Abate (Abbot’s Museum), displaying liturgical furnishings, vestments attributed to the donations of Olimpia Maidalchini (the powerful sister-in-law of Innocent X), papal chalices, a 14th-century crucifix, and the processional banner attributed to Mattia Preti, depicting Saint Martin giving his cloak to the poor. Walled-up niches, windows, and doors suggest the room's ancient connections to other areas of the monastic complex.
