H. E. J. Cowdry
Oxford University Press (Clarendon Press), 1998 (reprint of 1983 edition).
Book Number 16558
Desiderius was abbot of Montecassino from 1058 to 1087. During his lifetime this most ancient of Benedictine monasteries enjoyed the "golden age" of its long history, and Desiderius himself was elected for a brief reign as Pope Victor III. The life, culture and resources of Montecassino are studied in detail, both in themselves and in relation to the two key ecclesiastical and political issues of contemporary Italy, the reform of the church and the churchís relations with the Normans who were then colonising much of southern Italy.