Museo di San Caprasio

Friend of San Caprasio

This letter comes to you from the most ancient Church of your father's land, the same Church where in the old times your ancient parents prayed and where are buried aulla's people who lived more than a thousand of years ago.

Our church seemed to be a modern and ordinary building, not worthy of a visit, even if our oldies said that under the main altar was buried the body of a great Saint brought there from the Lerins island in Provence before the year one thousand.

His sepulcry, with the stucco reliquiary, the only one today discovered in all the world, has been rediscovered on October 2003: the Reliquias of San Caprasio today are exposed to the veneration of the fedeli and of the pilgrims who go to Rome through the Via Francigena.

From 1943 to 1945 almost the town of Aulla has been destroyed from the Allied bombs: 135 people died under the houses. One of the many bombs falled down on Aulla has been found unexploded, on 2003, just few meters from the Saint's tomb.

Starting from 2001 the Parish, the City Council, the Regione Toscana and many others private benefactors have done impressive aerchaeological excavations which discovered three churchs remainins: the first two from VIII-IX century and the last one, which was surprisingly still up, of the first decades of the year one thousand.

Today in the main room "Sala Capitolare" of the Benectine Monastery a little museum shows the witnesses of more than 2700 years of the life and the people of Aulla: starting from the Liguri Apuani, to the Roman age, to the 500 puonds bomb found miracolously unexploded nearby the Saint's tomb. In the Cloister we have now planted a garden with all the plants of the Holy Bible.

We ask you, who are living so far from Aulla, to give your free contribution to help the continuation of the work of enhancement of the Church of your fathers and in the reception of all the pilgrims coming from all the countries of Europe, Canada, Usa and Australia.

If you want to know us better, you can see some of the beauties of your Church on the internet site: www.sancaprasio.it.

We pray with your intentions and wish you a Merry Christmas and an Happy 2010 from the Parish, the City Council and the "Friend of San Caprasio" association.

In order to contribute to the restoration project, you can send your offer, which will be mentioned in the Museum, to: "Parrocchia di San Caprasio", piazza Abbazia, 54011 Aulla (MS).
Bank via wire transfer to Cassa di Risparmio della Spezia filiale di Aulla. IT25 Z060 3069 860 00001 2071 C00 Swift: CRFI IT 2S

Sincerely.

The Major Roberto Simoncini
The Parish Don Giovanni Perini