Vallombrosians

The founder, a Florentine named Giovanni Gualberto, a member of the prominent Visdomini family, was born in the year 985 or 995. His brother was murdered, and it was his duty was to avenge the deceased. He met the murderer in a narrow lane on Good Friday and was about to slay him, but when the man threw himself upon the ground with arms outstretched in the form of a cross and begged mercy for the love of Christ, John forgave him.[1]

A popular legend holds that on his way home, John entered the Benedictine church at San Miniato to pray, and the figure on the crucifix bowed its head to him in recognition of his generosity. This story forms the subject of Burne-Jones's picture The Merciful Knight, and has been adapted by Joseph Henry Shorthouse in John Inglesant.[1]

John Gualbert first became a Benedictine monk at San Miniato, but later left that monastery to lead a more perfect life. His attraction was to the cenobitic, and not eremitic life, so after staying for some time with the monks at Camaldoli, he settled at Vallombrosa, where he founded his monastery.[2] Mabillon estimates its foundation at a little before 1038. Here, it is said, John and his first companions lived for some years as hermits, but this is rejected by Martène as inconsistent with the reason for leaving Camaldoli. The chronology of the early days of Vallombrosa has been much disputed. The dates given for the founder's conversion varying between 1004 and 1039, and a Vallumbrosan writer places his arrival at Vallombrosa as early as 1008. The church was consecrated by Rotho, Bishop of Paderborn, in 1038, and Itta, abbess of the neighbouring monastery of Sant' Ellero, donated the site of the new foundation in 1039. The abbess retained the privilege of nominating the superiors, but this right was granted to the monks by Pope Victor II, who confirmed the order in 1056. Two centuries later, in the time of Pope Alexander IV, the nunnery was united with Vallombrosa in spite of the protests of the nuns.[1]

San Salvi (Florence)

The holy lives of the first monks at Vallombrosa attracted considerable attention and brought many requests for new foundations, but there were few postulants, since few could endure the extraordinary austerity of the way of life. Gualbert adopted the Rule of Saint Benedict but added greatly to its austerity and penitential character. His idea was to unite the ascetic advantages of the eremitical life to a life in community, while avoiding the dangers of the former. Severe scourging was inflicted for any breach of rule, silence was perpetual, poverty most severely enforced. The rule of enclosure was so strict that the monks could not go out even on an errand of mercy.[1]

The main point of divergence lay in the prohibition of the manual work, which is prescribed by St. Benedict. St. John's choir monks were to be pure contemplatives and to this end he introduced the system of lay-brothers who were to attend to the secular business. He was among the first to systematize this institution, and it is probable that it was largely popularized by the Vallumbrosans. The term conversi (lay brothers) occurs for the first time in Abbot Andrew of Strumi's Life of St. John, written at the beginning of the twelfth century.[1]

Only one other monastery, that of San Salvi at Florence, was founded during this period. Then the founder mitigated his rule somewhat and three more monasteries were founded and three others reformed and united with the order during his lifetime. The early Vallombrosans took a considerable part in the struggle of the popes against simony, of which the most famous incident was the ordeal by fire undertaken successfully by St. Peter Igneus in 1068. Shortly before this the monastery of San Salvi had been burned and the monks ill-treated by the anti-reform party. These events still further increased the reputation of Vallombrosa.[1]

The habit, originally grey or ash colored,[3] is now that of other Benedictines.

The abbots were originally elected for life but are now elected at the general chapter, held every four years. The Abbot of Vallombrosa, the superior of the whole order, had formerly a seat in the Florentine Senate and bore the additional title of Count of Monte Verde and Gualdo.[1]

The shield of the order shows the founder's arm in a tawny-coloured cowl grasping a golden crutch-shaped crozier on a blue ground.[1]

The services rendered by the order have been mostly in the field of asceticism. Among the Vallumbrosan saints may be mentioned: Veridiana, anchoress (1208–42); Giovanni Dalle Celle (feast, 10 March); the lay brother Melior (1 August). By the middle of the seventeenth century the order had supplied twelve cardinals and more than 30 bishops. F.E. Hugford (1696–1771, brother of the painter Ignazio Hugford), is well known as one of the chief promoters of the art of scagliola (imitation of marble in plaster). Abbot-General Tamburini's works on canon law are well known. Galileo was for a time a novice at Vallombrosa and received part of his education there.[1]

Santuario di Montenero

The Vallombrosians are part of the Benedictine Confederation. In 2015 the order had nine houses with 73 monks (48 priests).[4] The motherhouse is Vallombrosa Abbey.

The abbot-general is currently Dom Giuseppe Casetta. Padre Pierdamiano Spotorno is the Archivist and Librarian of Congregation.[5]

The Vallumbrosian monks maintain the Sanctuary of Montenero in Livorno, dedicated to Our Lady of Grace of Montenero, patron of Tuscany.[6]

The Vallumbrosians in Bangladore support themselves by producing Italians cheeses for sale to upscale restaurants.[2]

Saint Humility is usually regarded as the foundress of the Vallumbrosan Nuns. She was born at Faenza about 1226, was married, but with the consent of her husband, who became a monk, entered a monastery of canonesses and afterwards became an anchoress in a cell attached to the Vallumbrosan church of Faenza, where she lived for twelve years.

Lay sisters who, under the charge of an aged lay brother, lived in a separate house and performed various household duties were attached to the monastery of Vallombrosa.

At the request of the abbot-general Humility then founded a monastery outside Faenza and became its abbess. In 1282, she founded a second convent at Florence, where she died in 1310. She left a number of mystical writings.[1]

When they ceased to be attached to the monasteries of monks, these sisters probably continued to lead a conventual life. Blessed Bertha d'Alberti (d. 1163) entered the Vallumbrosan Order at Florence and reformed the convent of Cavriglia in 1153.[7]

In 1524, the nuns obtained the Abbey of San Salvi, Florence. There are still Vallumbrosan nunneries at Faenza and San Gimignano, besides two at Florence. The relics of St. Umiltà and her disciple Bl. Margherita are venerated at the convent of Spirito Santo at Varlungo. The habit is similar to that of other Benedictine Nuns.[1]

• John Gualbert
• Bernard degli Uberti
• Peter Igneus
• Verdiana
• Saint Humility

• I Vallombrosani in Lombardia (XI-XVIII secolo), A cura di F. Salvestrini, Milano-Lecco: ERSAF, 2011.
• F. Salvestrini, I vallombrosani in Liguria, Roma, Viella, 2010.
• F. Salvestrini, Disciplina Caritatis, Il monachesimo vallombrosano tra medioevo e prima età moderna, Roma, Viella, 2008.

• St. John Gualbert, Abbot at the Christian Iconography web site