Il monastero del Corpo di Cristo
The monastery (which Church is seat of the parish of San Leucio and San Pantalone) was Priorate of Montevergine’s Monks, from 1577 to 1807. It was officially founded on January 13, 1577, when Pope Gregorio XIII gave Montevergine’s monks the permission of founding a new Priorate in Borgo di Montoro, unifying the Church of Christ’s Body, the hospital of San Giovanni Gerosolimitano (both under the University patronage) and the outbuilding of San Cristoforo. The new foundation of the Church was strictly linked to its previous foundations: the Church of the Body of Christ, already existing in the first half of the XV century, was home of the oldest Montoro’s Confraternity and abandoned in 1577, because of a lack of priests to fulfill religious obligations (perg. N. 5218); The Hospital of San Giovanni Gerosolimitano is documented by historical sources already in the early fourteenth century, but was founded even before. The Priorate of San Cristoforo, founded between the end of the XIV century and the first decade of the XV century, was an annex of the Monastery. The Monastery of Montevergine had properties in Montoro area already in the XII century. In 1143 it is mentioned among the properties of Salerno Archibishop, while the first donation to the Monastery dates back to June 1163. From then on, Montevergine and Montoro have kept a steady relationship, with frequent donations. However, the historical sources from XII to XIV century did not mention any church or monastery, but only properties and goods. The outbuilding is mentioned for the first time on March 4, 1441 (perg. N. 4054). It was the monastery of San Cristoforo, located in Borgo, two miles away from the Church of the Body of Christ. It was a little priorate, followed only from a financial point of view, as decided by the suppressions of Saint Pio V in 1567. Both monastery and church were in bad conditions before the first pastoral visit by Abbot Perugino in 1594.