‘A monastic ark against the current flood’: the manuscripts of Peter Damian at the Abbey of Montecassino

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between the erudite hermit Peter Damian (c.1007–1072) and the abbey of Montecassino through a study of the manuscripts of his works housed in the abbey's scriptorium. Damian was a prolific writer and reformer whose ideas on spiritual perfection helped to shape the ideals of the ‘Gregorian Reform’ movement in the eleventh century. Through nurturing important relationships with monasteries such as Montecassino, Damian was able to articulate his ideas on monastic behaviour and how they translated into practice. Damian's correspondence with Montecassino revealed his thoughts on the connection between the eremitic and coenobitic vocations and how monks might ascend the spiritual hierarchy. A study of the manuscripts of Damian's letters reveals how the monks at Montecassino read and responded to those texts which were not only addressed to their community but also to other institutions. Whilst recent studies have informed historians about the nature of the spiritual life at Montecassino in the Middle Ages, and also of certain aspects of Damian's connection with the institution, to date there has been no study of the Damian manuscripts for what they can reveal of this complex spiritual relationship. This article therefore aims to contribute to recent scholarship on this issue whilst also seeking to shed light on the manuscript culture of eleventh-century monastic reform institutions.