THE HISTORY OF THE MONASTERY

BIRTH

	CONSTRUCTION DESTRUCTION REBUILDING		On the Mountains, once described as Belvedere (Beautiful to see), and a little beyond the 'Suburb of St. Anthony', Father Carafa, the founder of the Pious Workers, started to build his monastery complex and he called it, "Santa Maria dei Monti" - Saint Mary of the Mountains. By the 8th of October, 1605, he had adapted the old farm with its fruit trees, woods, house, walled courtyard and water tank. He also acquired othere premises belonging to a Signor Decio Crisconio. These were bought for him by the notary Francesco Antonio De Mare for the sum of 1,100 ducats. On the 14th of May, 1606, the Feast of Pentecost, Fr. Carafa and his companions took possession of their porperty and Cardinal Ottavio Acquaviva, Archbishop of Naples, blessed the church and approved the rules of the new community now called The Congregation of the Christian Doctrine. In 1607 Fr. Carafa transfered the novitiate house of the Pious Workers that had been at San Giorgio Maggiore to the new site.