Chronology of Catholic Dioceses:Notes on the Abbacy "nullius dioecesos" of Farfa, 775-1841

A legend in the "Chronicon Farfense" relates the foundation of a monastery at Farfa in the time of the Emperors Julian, or Gratian, by the Syrian St. Laurentius, who had come to Rome with his sister, Susannah, and had been made Bishop of Spoleto. The legend goes on to say that he afterwards became enamoured of the monastic life, and chose a wooded hill near the Farfa stream, a tributary of the Tiber, on which he built a church to Our Lady, and a monastery. Archeological discoveries in 1888 seem to prove that the first monastic establishment was built on the ruins of a pagan temple. This first monastery was devastated by the Vandals in the fifth century, doubtless about the year 457.

Bishop St. Siro of Forum Novum built a basilica in Farfa in the VI century (he was bishop there in year 554). The building later was abandoned, probably due to the invasions of the Longobards.

In the seventh century, a wave of monasticism from the North spread over Italy. The foundation of Bobbio by St. Columbanus, and the foundation of Farfa by monks from Gaul, about 681, heralded a revival of the great Benedictine tradition in Italy. The "Constructio Monaserii Farfensis", a writing which dates probably from 857, relates at length the story of its principal founder Thomas de Maurienne; he had made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and spent three years there. While in prayer before the Holy Sepulchre, Our Lady in a vision warned him to return to Italy, and restore Farfa; and the Duke of Spoleto, Faroald, who had also had a vision, was commanded to aid in this work. At a very early date we find traces of this legend in connexion with the foundation by three nobles from Beneventum of the monastery of St. Vincent on the Volturno, over which Farfa claimed jurisdiction. Thomas died in 720; and for more than a century Frankish abbots ruled at Farfa.

The Lombard chiefs, and later the Carlovingians, succeeded in withdrawing Farfa from obedience to the Bishops of Rieti, and in securing many immunities and privileges for the monastery. In 775, Charlemagne granted autonomy to Farfa, freeing it from subordination to all powers, civil or religious.

If we may credit the "Chronicon Farfense", Farfa was at this period the most important monastery in Italy both from the point of view of worldly possession and ecclesiastical dignity, with the exception of Nonantula. It had one large basilican church and five smaller ones, rich in masterpieces of religious orfèverie. The greed of the Saracens was excited: and about 890, during the government of Abbot Peter, they swooped down on the place. Peter held out against them for seven years, and then resolved to abandon the monastery. He divided his monks into three sections and shared the abbey's wealth among them — one section he sent towards Rome, one towards Rieti, and one towards the county of Fermo. The Saracens preserved Farfa as a stronghold, but some Christian robbers set fire to it by mistake.

The abbey was then destroyed by the Saracens and was then rebuilt in 913, but it never regained its previous importance.

In 1122, at the Diet of Worms, the abbey was definitively put under the pontifical authority. At the beginning of the Fifteenth Century, Carbone Tormacelli, cardinal and nephew of Pope Boniface IX, became its first Commendatory Abbot.

On 25 November 1841, Gregory XVI suppressed the Farfa as Abbact "nullius" (i.e., as an territorially autonomous abbey) and incorporated it in the diocese of Sabina. Thus, from 1842 the Cardinal Bishop of Sabina, a suburbicarian bishop, could bear also the title of Abbot of Farfa.

Since 1921 the buildings have belonged to the Benedictine community of St. Paul's-Outside-the-Walls (Rome).

(Sources: Research of Mr. Giulio Longo,

http://www.emmeti.it/Welcome/Lazio/ProvRieti/ValleSanta/Farfa/index.uk.html

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05785d.htm )

-CT

av Webmaster publisert 08.09.2004, sist endret 08.09.2004 - 12:11