The ‘Tamed’ Mountains: from Terrifying and Uninhabited Environments to Places of The Soul and Religious Spaces
Abstract
The survey, by using the methods of historical research, focuses on the transformation of mountains, which, from terrifying and uninhabited environments, gradually became among the most significant places of the soul and religious spaces. Resorting to historical, literary and archival sources, the study, of an interdisciplinary nature, aims to reconstruct a little-known aspect of Italian history, in particular of history of culture and ideas.
Mountains, which constitute a significant portion of Italy, were considered by the Ancients antithetical to human civilization. With Christianity a new image of mountains made its way, where, according to the Scriptures, some decisive episodes of the history of salvation had taken place. The hermits who wanted to dedicate themselves only to God began to take refuge in the mountains, but the ideological prejudice transmitted by classical authors remained fixed in the collective imagination and upland areas continued for centuries to be misunderstood and rarely visited.
An important turning point came with two religious orders, the Camaldolese and the Franciscans, who gave a fundamental contribution to the ‘taming’ of mountains. Thanks to Saint Romuald, in Camaldoli, on the Tuscan-Romagnolo Apennines, an experience was born that combined evangelization, forest management and interventions on the mountain territory. In their settlements the Camaldolese, while cultivating the fields, regulating the waters and taking care of the woods, at the same time promoted education, culture and work for the people who lived nearby. From Assisi and the mountains of Umbria began the revolution of Saint Francis, which involved men and women, animals, fields, fruits, flowers, forests, rocks: all like God’s creatures. Thus the Apennine mountains, the true backbone of the Italian peninsula, became increasingly popular open spaces, places of meeting and of spiritual and material life, based on a balanced and exemplary relationship between man and nature.
Full text article
References
Alinei, M. (1985). Silvani latini, Aquane ladine: dalla linguistica all’antropologia. In: Kindl U, editor. Le leggende fassane di Hugo de Rossi. Atti del Convegno di studio (Vigo di Fassa, 20-21 Aprile 1985). Mondo ladino; 9(3-4): 49-78.
Bonaventura Bagnoregis. (2013a). Legenda maior sancti Francisci. In: Leonardi C, editor. La letteratura francescana. IV. Bonaventura: la leggenda di Francesco. Translation by Donnini M, Commentary by Solvi D. Milano: Fondazione Lorenzo Valla-Arnoldo Mondadori Editore; 32-333 (Latin text with Italian translation); 337-400 (commentary).
Cacciamani, GM. (1963). Atlante storico-geografico Camaldolese con 23 tavole (secoli X-XX). [Camaldoli, Poppi]: Edizioni Camaldoli
Cacciamani, GM. (1965). L’antica Foresta di Camaldoli. Storia e codice forestale. [Camaldoli, Poppi]: Edizioni Camaldoli
Cardarelli, F. (2004a). editor. Il Codice forestale camaldolese. Legislazione e gestione del bosco nella documentazione d’archivio romualdina. Roma-Bologna: Istituto Nazionale della Montagna-Bononia University Press
Cardarelli, F. (2004b). Il Codice forestale camaldolese. Legislazione e gestione del bosco nella documentazione d’archivio romualdina. Roma-Bologna: Istituto Nazionale della Montagna-Bononia University Press. p. 1-11.
Cardarelli, F. (2019). Dal Cantico di frate sole alla sequela di Gesù Cristo «sine glossa»: il ruolo di Francesco d’Assisi nella metamorfosi dell’immagine della montagna. In: Salvatori F, editor. L’apporto della Geografia tra rivoluzioni e riforme. Atti del XXXII Congresso Geografico Italiano (Roma, 7-10 Giugno 2017). Roma: A.Ge.I. p. 1547-53.
Ciotti, A. (2005). Paradiso terrestre. In: Enciclopedia Dantesca. Special edition for Biblioteca Treccani. Roma-Milano: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana-Arnoldo Mondadori Editore. Vol. 12. p. 284-7.
Giardina, A. (2004). Uomini e spazi aperti. In: Giardina A, L’Italia romana. Storie di un’identità incompiuta. Roma-Bari: Editori Laterza. p. 193-232.
Gregorius Magnus. (2006). Storie di santi e di diavoli (Dialoghi). I (Libri I-II). Introduction and Commentary by Pricoco S; Critical text and translation by Simonetti M. 2nd ed. Milano: Fondazione Lorenzo Valla-Arnoldo Mondadori Editore.
Helias Cortonensis. (2004a). Epistola encyclica de transitu sancti Francisci. In: Leonardi C, editor. La letteratura francescana. I. Francesco e Chiara d’Assisi. Commentary by Solvi D. Milano: Fondazione Lorenzo Valla-Arnoldo Mondadori Editore. p. 248-55 (Latin text with Italian translation by Ricci LGG); 481-6 (commentary).
Leonardi, C. (2004b) Introduzione. Francesco d’Assisi. In: Leonardi C, editor. La letteratura francescana. I. Francesco e Chiara d’Assisi. Commentary by Solvi D. Milano: Fondazione Lorenzo Valla-Arnoldo Mondadori Editore. p. XIII-L.
Leonardi, C. (2013b). Legenda maior sancti Francisci. Introduzione. In: Leonardi C, editor. La letteratura francescana. IV. Bonaventura: la leggenda di Francesco. Translation by Donnini M, Commentary by Solvi D. Milano: Fondazione Lorenzo Valla-Arnoldo Mondadori Editore. p. 5-30.
Liber Eremitice Regule (LER). (2004). In: Licciardello P, editor. Consuetudo Camaldulensis: Rodulphi Constitutiones, Liber Eremitice Regule. Critical edition and translation. Firenze: SISMEL Edizioni del Galluzzo. p. 22-81 (Latin text with Italian translation); 88-107 (comment notes).
Longo, U. (2015). Pier Damiani (Petrus Damiani, Petrus peccator), santo. In: Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani. Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana. Vol. 83. p. 303-12.
Pellegrini, GB. (1990). Toponomastica italiana: 10.000 nomi di città, paesi, frazioni, regioni, contrade, fiumi, monti spiegati nella loro origine e storia. Milano: Hoepli.
Petrus Damiani. (1957). Vita Beati Romualdi. Latin text edited by Tabacco G. Roma: Istituto Storico Italiano; 1957.
Pricoco, S. (2006). Comment. In: Gregorius Magnus. Storie di santi e di diavoli (Dialoghi). I (Libri I-II). Introduction and Commentary by Pricoco S; Critical text and translation by Simonetti M. 2nd ed. Milano: Fondazione Lorenzo Valla-Arnoldo Mondadori Editore. p. 219-377.
Ravasi, G. (2001). I monti di Dio. Il mistero della montagna tra parola e immagine. Cinisello Balsamo: Edizioni San Paolo.
Glaber, R. (1999). Cronache dell’Anno Mille (Storie). Edition of the Latin text and Italian translation by Cavallo G, Orlandi G. 6th ed. Milano: Fondazione Lorenzo Valla-Arnoldo Mondadori Editore; 1999.
Romanini, AM. (1987) Monachesimo medievale e architettura monastica. Introduzione. In: Alessio GC et al. Dall’eremo al cenobio. La civiltà monastica in Italia dalle origini all’età di Dante. Milano: Libri Scheiwiller-Credito Italiano. p. 423-85.
Stanislao da Campagnola. (2005). Francesco di Assisi, santo. In: Enciclopedia Dantesca. Special edition for Biblioteca Treccani. Roma-Milano: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana-Arnoldo Mondadori Editore. Vol. 9. p. 286-94.
Thomas de Celano. (2005). Vita beati Francisci. In: Leonardi C, editor. La letteratura francescana. II. Le vite antiche di san Francesco. Commentary by Solvi D. Milano: Fondazione Lorenzo Valla-Arnoldo Mondadori Editore. p. 30-263 (Latin text with Italian translation by Solvi D); 497-548 (commentary).
Authors
Copyright (c) 2019 Resourceedings

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- The Author shall grant to the Publisher and its agents the nonexclusive perpetual right and license to publish, archive, and make accessible the Work in whole or in part in all forms of media now or hereafter known under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License or its equivalent, which, for the avoidance of doubt, allows others to copy, distribute, and transmit the Work under the following conditions:
- Attribution: other users must attribute the Work in the manner specified by the author as indicated on the journal Web site;
With the understanding that the above condition can be waived with permission from the Author and that where the Work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
- The Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the nonexclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the Work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), as long as there is provided in the document an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post online a pre-publication manuscript (but not the Publisher's final formatted PDF version of the Work) in institutional repositories or on their Websites prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (see The Effect of Open Access). Any such posting made before acceptance and publication of the Work shall be updated upon publication to include a reference to the Publisher-assigned DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and a link to the online abstract for the final published Work in the Journal.
- Upon Publisher's request, the Author agrees to furnish promptly to Publisher, at the Author's own expense, written evidence of the permissions, licenses, and consents for use of third-party material included within the Work, except as determined by Publisher to be covered by the principles of Fair Use.
- The Author represents and warrants that:
- The Work is the Author's original work;
- The Author has not transferred, and will not transfer, exclusive rights in the Work to any third party;
- The Work is not pending review or under consideration by another publisher;
- The Work has not previously been published;
- The Work contains no misrepresentation or infringement of the Work or property of other authors or third parties; and
- The Work contains no libel, invasion of privacy, or other unlawful matter.
- The Author agrees to indemnify and hold Publisher harmless from Author's breach of the representations and warranties contained in Paragraph 7 above, as well as any claim or proceeding relating to Publisher's use and publication of any content contained in the Work, including third-party content.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.