Abbey at Monte Cassino

This Abbey, founded by St. Benedict, has been destroyed four times since its founding in 1205. The last time was during WWII when the German's were believed to be using it as a lookout for their line of defense known as the "Gustav Line."
In February, 1944 the allies sent 256 fighter/bombers to destroy the Abbey and move out the German troops. During the bombing one bomb penetrated the tomb of St. Benedict, BUT FAILED TO GO OFF. Talk about devine intervention!
Unfortunately, durin the bombing, many Italians lost their lives as they sought refuge in the Abbey.
The current Abbey has been rebuilt along the original specifications and contains many arficacts going back to the original Abbey.