"The Lost Library of Otranto: The Legacy of the Typikon of San Nicola di Casole" by Carlo Coppola
In the heart of the Middle Ages , along the sun-drenched coasts of Salento , stood an extraordinary sanctuary where Basilian monks prayed in Greek under the rule of Norman knights . This was the Monastery of San Nicola di Casole , near Otranto . Today, its monastic rule—the Typikon —survives as a rare window into a fascinating era of cultural synthesis in Southern Italy . Founded between 1098 and 1099 by the Monk Joseph with the patronage of Bohemond I of Antioch , the monastery was born during a historical paradox. While the Normans were Latin conquerors, they actively protected the Byzantine monastic tradition. Under their protection, Greek communities flourished in Puglia . The monastery’s library eventually became so legendary that it is credited with sparking the early flames of Humanism in Southern Italy. Written strictly in Greek, the Typikon governed every second of monastic life. It was more than just a rulebook; it was a "constitution" for communal living ...
