The abbey was dissolved by the Italian government in 1866. The building became a national monument with the monks as custodians of its treasures. In 1944 during World War II, it was the site of the Battle of Monte Cassino and the building was destroyed by Allied bombing.
The monastery was rebuilt in the postwar years and completed by 1964. The town had been pulverised and the plain was a cratered wilderness. In fact, so great was the damage that a new town was created on freshly drained land while nature gradually reclaimed the ruins of the old.
A Batalha de Monte Cassino, que foi travada em {cassino buzz quatro diferentes etapas desde 17de janeiro até 18 e maio. 1944, resultou com{ k 0] aproximadamente 55.000 baixas aliadas; 20.000 altas alemãs da cerca a 6 mil
baixas.2.000
civis mortes.