Il Lago di Castel San Vincenzo e l'antica Terra ... - Regione Molise

54 - Alta Valle del Volturno
The third phase
or that of the 12th century Monastery
On the left bank of the river security was continuously weakening, a fact which
brought the monks to move their residence to the opposite bank. The site is a sort
of islet with 3 sides protected by the river and its channels and one by the land's
unevenness. Additionally, a high wall with 4 towers, one at each corner, closes the
monastery like a fortified citadel. The materials used came from the demolition of
an abandoned monastery. The pavements had a very refined elaboration of which
remains that of a room along the left nave. Pope Pasquale II consecrated the Basilica
in 1115; with his papal bull he also bound the Monastery to the Roman
Apostolic See, removing it from local episcopate's jurisdiction. The situation seemed
to be stable, but times had changed. The Norman king Ruggero II d'Altavilla
wanted to choose the new abbot and when the monks refused, as they were loyal
to the Pope, Norman emissaries assaulted the monastery,
Sotto: San Vincenzo al
Volturno e il porticato
del XII sec.
(Foto T. Paolone)
despoiling it of goods (chests of silver left for the Normans'
Palace). This king excluded San Vincenzo from his
list of trusted monasteries, while the large landowners
who had already started their attacks a century before did
the rest.