The abbey of the Passionist Fathers (Santa Maria Corniano) is located 5 km from the town centre of Ceccano in a beautiful panoramic position in the Sacco Valley.
It was built on a Benedictine monastery of the twelfth century. The convent chapel was dedicated to Santa Maria di Corniano, because the Virgin Mary appeared to a shepherd in the branches of a dogwood tree.
In 1747 the bishop Borgia of Ferentino commissioned the facility for St. Paul of the Cross, founder of the Passionist Fathers who began the renovation works of the convent.
St. Paul of the Cross had arrived in Ceccano January 13, 1748, and was received with enthusiasm by the people.
The story goes that after spending the night at Palazzo Angeletti, on 14 January a long procession accompanied him to the new premises.
The Passionist Fathers have offered hospitality and support to displaced people during the Second World War, after the bombings that hit the city.
In the convent were the Red Cross, first aid, the field hospital, the artillery, the police and the municipal offices.
Even the statue of Santa Maria Addolorata in Rijeka and the picture of St. Nicholas were transferred to the Passionist monastery after the bombings that struck those two churches.
Inside the church there is an eighteenth-century pipe organ and some of the twentieth century paintings depicting Marian mysteries and scenes from the life of St. Paul of the Cross.
In a side chapel is the urn of Grimoald Santamaria, young Passionist who died here in 1902 and was beatified in 1995.
In the monastery is the library collection of Santa Maria of Corniano, with more than 10,000 volumes.
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