11 Facts About Romuald

Romuald was the founder of the Camaldolese order and a major figure in the eleventh-century "Renaissance of eremitical asceticism".

Romuald spent about 30 years traversing Italy, founding and reforming monasteries and hermitages.

Romuald's father was Sergius degli Onesti and his mother was Traversara Traversari.

Romuald was devastated, and went to the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe to do 40 days of penance.

Romuald lived there for about ten years, taking advantage of the library of Cuxa to refine his ideas regarding monasticism.

Romuald's reputation being known to advisors of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto III, Romuald was persuaded by him to take the vacant office of abbot at Sant'Apollinare to help bring about a more dedicated way of life there.

The monks resisted his reforms, and after a year, Romuald resigned, hurling his abbot's staff at Otto's feet in total frustration.

St Romuald built on this land five cells for hermits, which, with the monastery at Fontebuono, built two years later, became the famous mother-house of the Camaldolese Order.

Romuald founded several other monasteries, including the monastery of Val di Castro, where he died in 1027.

Romuald was able to integrate these different traditions and establish his own monastic order.

Romuald's reforms provided a structural context to accommodate both the eremitic and cenobitic aspects of monastic life.