When driving through the Italian countryside near where the region of Lazio meets the region of Campania, it is impossible to miss the beautifully imposing structure of the Monastery of Monte Cassino gracing the skyline. What you might not know when looking at this architectural masterpiece is that it houses a masterpiece of a different kind.

Over the last two weeks, we have discussed the origins and development of the Italian language on our show (Episode 1, Episode 2), and we mentioned the “Placiti Cassinesi” and their role as the first written form of Italian.