NOTICE TO THE READERS

IT SEEMS that to those monks, who were granted by Providence Divine guidance or care. the task of rescuing the works of human genius from the malice of barbarian centuries, has been entrusted the noble duty of making them public property for the advancement of human knowledge. Modern civilization, which desires such a duty to be fulfilled especially by those of Monte Cassino The Abbey of Monte Cassino, established in 529 AD, is one of the most famous monasteries in the world and a historical center for the preservation of Latin and Greek texts., as the guardians of a most distinguished Archive The abbey’s archive is one of the world's most significant, containing over 40,000 parchments and thousands of manuscripts., would raise a just complaint against them if, amidst such literary wealth, they were to lounge in idleness and not decide to gift others some unknown writing useful to either the mind or the heart. Nor did the Cassinese The monks of the Monte Cassino community. forget such a holy duty. In the last century, to speak of times less distant from our age, Gattola Erasmo Gattola (1662–1734), a monk and historian at Monte Cassino whose monumental works are foundational for the abbey's history. wrote...

Notice to the readersItalian: "Avviso ai leggitori." A standard preface in historical books where the author or editor explains the purpose and origin of the work.
ProvidenceItalian: "Provvidenza." A reference to God's intervention in human history, often invoked by religious writers to explain the survival of ancient texts.
Monte CassinoThe mother house of the Benedictine Order, located in Italy.
ArchiveItalian: "Archivio." Refers specifically to the vast collection of historical documents and codices held by the monastery.
GattolaReferring to Dom Erasmo Gattola, the most prominent historian of the Cassinese community.
CassineseItalian: "Cassinesi." A term used for the monks of Monte Cassino.