Vallombrosians facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | O.S.B. Vall. |
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| Formation | 1038 |
| Founder | Giovanni Gualberto |
| Founded at | Italy |
The Vallombrosians are a group of Catholic monks. They are a special kind of religious order within the Catholic Church. They get their name from Vallombrosa Abbey, their main monastery. This abbey is in a place called Vallombrosa, which means 'shady valley' in Latin. It's about 30 kilometers from the city of Florence in Italy. To show they are different from other Benedictines (another group of monks), they use the letters OSBVall after their names.
Contents
How the Vallombrosian Order Started
The Vallombrosian Order was started by a man named John Gualbert. He was from Florence, Italy, and born around the year 985 or 995. John belonged to an important family called the Visdomini.
John Gualbert's Forgiveness
A sad event happened in John's life: his brother was killed. At that time, it was expected for families to get revenge. One Good Friday, John met the person who had killed his brother in a narrow street. John was about to act, but the man fell to the ground. He stretched out his arms like a cross and begged for mercy, asking for forgiveness in the name of Christ. John decided to forgive him.
A famous story says that after this, John went to pray at the Benedictine church of San Miniato. As he prayed, the figure of Jesus on the crucifix bowed its head to him. This showed that Jesus approved of John's act of kindness and forgiveness. This story has inspired famous artworks and books.
Founding the Monastery
John Gualbert first became a Benedictine monk at San Miniato. But he later left, wanting to live an even more dedicated life. He preferred living in a community with other monks, not alone as a hermit. After spending some time with monks at Camaldoli, he settled in Vallombrosa. There, he founded his own monastery.
Historians believe the monastery was founded a little before 1038. At first, John and his friends might have lived very simply. The church at Vallombrosa was officially opened in 1038. A kind abbess (the head nun) from a nearby monastery, Itta, gave them the land in 1039. At first, she had the right to choose the leaders of the new monastery. But Pope Victor II later gave this right to the monks themselves in 1056.
The monks at Vallombrosa lived very holy lives. This attracted a lot of attention. Many people wanted new monasteries to be built. However, few people joined the order because their way of life was extremely strict. John Gualbert followed the Rule of Saint Benedict, but he made it much tougher. He wanted to combine the benefits of living alone (like deep prayer) with living in a community.
The rules were very strict:
- Monks were punished for breaking rules.
- They had to be silent almost all the time.
- They lived in extreme poverty.
- They were not allowed to leave the monastery, even to help others.
One big difference from other Benedictines was that John's monks did not do manual work. They focused only on prayer and contemplation. To help with everyday tasks, John introduced the idea of "lay-brothers." These were monks who handled the practical, worldly duties. This system of lay-brothers became very popular because of the Vallombrosans.
Only one other monastery, San Salvi in Florence, was founded during this early period. Later, John made the rules a bit less strict. This allowed for more monasteries to be founded or reformed and joined with the order during his lifetime.
The early Vallombrosans were very involved in helping the popes fight against simony. Simony was the practice of buying or selling church positions. A famous event was when St. Peter Igneus successfully walked through fire in 1068 to prove a point against simony. Before this, the San Salvi monastery was even burned down by people who opposed the reforms. These events made the Vallombrosan Order even more famous.
The monks' robes, called habits, were originally grey. Now, they wear habits similar to other Benedictine monks.
How the Order Grew
After John Gualbert died, the order grew quickly. In 1090, Pope Urban II officially recognized Vallombrosa. At that time, there were 15 monasteries besides the main one. By the time of Pope Innocent III, there were over 60 monasteries. Most were in Italy, with two in Sardinia.
Around 1087, a monk named Andrew of Vallombrosa started a monastery in France. In 1093, he founded another important abbey.
The Vallombrosan group of monasteries was reformed twice: once in the mid-1400s and again in the early 1600s. Some monasteries had formed their own separate group, but they rejoined the main order in 1485.
In the early 1500s, there was an attempt to create a university-like study center at Vallombrosa. But in 1527, soldiers burned down the monastery. It was rebuilt in 1637. An observatory (for studying stars) was also built there in 1634.
From 1662 to 1680, the order was joined with another group called the Sylvestrines.
In 1808, soldiers led by Napoleon I robbed Vallombrosa. The monastery was empty until 1815. The Italian government finally closed it down in 1866. A few monks still live there to care for the church and a weather station. The old abbey buildings are now a school for forestry, which teaches about forests and trees. Vallombrosa is also a popular place for people to visit for health and relaxation.
The order declined for several reasons. The main monastery faced many difficulties. Also, the system of "commendatory abbots" (where an outsider controlled the monastery's money) and constant wars in Italy hurt the order. Most of the remaining monasteries were closed in the 1700s and 1800s.
Rules and Leadership
The leaders of the order, called abbots, used to be chosen for life. Now, they are elected every four years at a special meeting. The Abbot of Vallombrosa is the head of the entire order. In the past, he even had a seat in the government of Florence and was called the Count of Monte Verde and Gualdo.
The symbol of the order shows the founder's arm in a brown robe. It is holding a golden staff on a blue background.
The Vallombrosian Order has contributed most to the practice of asceticism, which means living a very simple and disciplined life. Some important Vallombrosian saints include:
- Veridiana, a female hermit (1208–1242)
- Giovanni Dalle Celle
- Melior, a lay brother
By the mid-1600s, the order had produced 12 cardinals and over 30 bishops. A famous Vallombrosan, F.E. Hugford, helped develop the art of scagliola, which is making plaster look like marble. Even the famous scientist Galileo spent some time as a novice (a beginner monk) at Vallombrosa and received part of his education there.
Today's Vallombrosians
The Vallombrosians are part of a larger group called the Benedictine Confederation. In 2015, the order had nine houses (monasteries) with 73 monks. Of these, 48 were priests. Vallombrosa Abbey is still their main monastery.
The current head of the order is Giuseppe Casetta. Pierdamiano Spotorno is in charge of their historical records and library.
The Vallombrosian monks also take care of the Sanctuary of Montenero in Livorno, Italy. This sanctuary is dedicated to Our Lady of Grace of Montenero, who is the patron saint of Tuscany. They have also managed the Basilica of Santa Prassede in Rome since 1198.
In Bangladore, the Vallombrosians make Italian cheeses. They sell these cheeses to fancy restaurants to support themselves.
Vallombrosian Nuns
Saint Humility is usually seen as the founder of the Vallombrosan nuns. She was born in Faenza, Italy, around 1226. She was married, but with her husband's permission (he became a monk), she joined a monastery of nuns. Later, she became an anchoress, living alone in a small room attached to a Vallombrosan church in Faenza for twelve years.
At the request of the abbot-general, Humility then founded a monastery for nuns outside Faenza and became its abbess. In 1282, she founded a second convent in Florence. She died there in 1310. She wrote many spiritual texts.
When these sisters were no longer directly connected to the monks' monasteries, they continued to live in their own convents. Blessed Bertha d'Alberti (died 1163) joined the Vallombrosan order in Florence. She reformed the convent of Cavriglia in 1153.
In 1524, the nuns took over the Abbey of San Salvi in Florence. Today, there are Vallombrosan nunneries in Faenza and San Gimignano, as well as two in Florence. The remains of St. Umiltà and her student Bl. Margherita are honored at the convent of Spirito Santo at Varlungo. The nuns' habits are similar to those worn by other Benedictine Nuns.
Famous Vallombrosans
- John Gualbert
- Bernard degli Uberti
- Peter Igneus
- Verdiana
- Saint Humility
