The Rocca Janula was for centuries the military hub of the Terra di San Benedetto, the lordship of the abbey of Montecassino, and together with the abbey it still dominates Cassino from above. It was built in the tenth century by Abbot Aligernus, after he had brought the monks back to Montecassino, without asking permission of either the emperor or the princes of Capua; in 967 Prince Pandulf Ironhead approved the fortification. The fortress stands at 187 metres above sea level, much lower than the monastery: it was its direct defence, and it controlled the road that passes at its foot. Damaged by an earthquake in 1004, it was repaired by Abbot Gerard, who gave it the pentagonal tower, two towers fit to live in, a wider curtain wall and a small church.
What to see
The pentagonal tower is the part that also came through the Second World War: the fighting of the battle of Cassino heavily damaged the fortress, leaving standing only the tower, part of the walls and of the inner buildings. To the rebuilding ordered by Frederick II of Swabia, who had earlier twice ordered its destruction, are owed the architectural elements of Swabian stamp.
Abbot Pirro renewed the curtain wall and added two towers towards the town, with his family's coat of arms: the works ended in 1418, as an inscription attests. On Pirro's tower, in 1870, a plaque was placed dedicating the fortress to the Madonna, to close its military history and consecrate it to an ideal of peace. Near the fortress, overlooking the town, is the monument to Peace by Umberto Mastroianni.
Visiting
After a restoration that lasted several years, the fortress was reopened to the public on 25 September 2015 and hosts exhibitions, cultural events and historical re-enactments. Opening days and times should be checked before going up.
Our editors' tip
There are several explanations for the name. One derives it from the god Janus, who is said to have had a place of worship on the hill; another from the gate, in Latin «ianua», which opened in the walls of ancient Casinum right opposite the hill. And since «ianula» means small gate, the name could allude to the fortress's role as the entrance to Montecassino.
