Pontida Abbey

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Pontida Abbey

The Pontida Abbey (Italian Monastero San Giacomo Maggiore ) is a Benedictine monastery in Pontida in the province of Bergamo , Italy . The monastery consecrated to Jacob the Elder was opened on November 8, 1076 as a priory of St. Albert von Prezzate donated and endowed with lands. 1910 the monastery as was Benedictine - Abbey Pontida rebuilt.

history

Albert of Prezzate (1025-1095) came from a noble family of Lombardy and learned on his Jakob pilgrimage 1071-1075 branches of the Benedictine know. He entered the Order and became Prior of Pontida in 1080. The monastery had a great development from the beginning, especially under the direction of Ubaldo da Vimercate at the beginning of the 12th century. Due to its political proximity to the city of Milan, it could be expanded in 1118.

The period of decline of the monastery began with the fighting between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines , in which all of Bergamo was involved, and culminated in the severe damage when the monastery was set on fire by the army of Bernabò Visconti in 1373.

After a temporary separation from Cluny on September 26, 1491 the complex of Pope Alexander VI. again entrusted to Benedictine monks in agreement with Venice. In a new bloom, new rooms, two cloisters and the chapter house were built.

With the Napoleonic period, the structures dissolved and a decline followed until the Benedictines moved in again at the beginning of the 20th century. Currently (2020) the Benedictine Abbey of Pontida is headed by Abbot Giordano Rota OSB.

San Giacomo Monastery Church

San Giacomo Basilica

The church of Pontida, consecrated in 1095, a masterpiece of the Cluniac Romanesque , was replaced at the beginning of the 14th century by the current Gothic basilica, which stands at the beginning of the Lombard Gothic and influenced the construction of the Milan Cathedral, which began 70 years later. Beam pillars support the high cross vaults . The facade of the basilica was built over a long staircase in 1832 during a classical restoration. The church keeps the sarcophagus of its founder from the previous church. During the Baroque and Rococo periods the church was fitted with a number of marble altars, including the altarpiece of St. Maurus with a valuable fresco by Giulio Quaglio (1713) and the crucifix, which contains a valuable wooden sculpture, commonly considered an early work by Andrea Fantoni (1679) is considered. Next to the church is the Renaissance sacristy, which was completely painted with frescoes.

The church was elevated to a minor basilica by Pope Pius X in 1911 .

Oath of Pontida

The oath of Pontida formed the beginning of the Lombard League in 1167 , which fought against Friedrich Barbarossa at the Battle of Legnano in 1176 . During the Risorgimento of the 19th century, this oath was used again for the establishment of the state. From 1990 onwards it is celebrated annually by the Lega Nord .

Sources and literature

  • Pontida 1076-1976. Documenti per la storia del Monastero di S. Giacomo . Scelti ed introdotti da D. Paolo Lunardon e D. Giovanni Spinelli. Tipografia Editrice Secomandi, Bergamo 1977.

Web links

Commons : Pontida Abbey  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Monastero S. Giacomo: Storia (Italian)
  2. ↑ Abbazia di Pontida - complesso (Italian)
  3. ^ Basilica di S. Giacomo on gcatholic.org
  4. ^ Matthias Rüb: Lega meeting in Pontida: The hunting season is open. In: FAZ. September 15, 2019, accessed March 28, 2020 .

Coordinates: 45 ° 43 ′ 50.2 ″  N , 9 ° 30 ′ 15 ″  E