Pereo Monastery and the Central European Mission

The period of the rule of emperor Otto III represents the new approach of the Church and Holy Roman Empire towards the newly formed states at the center of Europe. The young emperor supported various attempts to expand Christianity together with his own influence beyond the border of his empire. Adalbert (Vojtěch), the bishop of Prague and Otto's personal friend, played the crucial role within the new imperial eastern policy. His martyrdom in pagan Prussia stimulated numerous missions to Central Europe strongly supported by the emperor and also by the pope. The refuge Pereo in Romagna is discussed as one of the examples of the Italian roots of such missions. The location of the monastery of St. Adalbert in Pereo is described together with the main written sources as Vita beati Romualdi by Peter Damiani or Vita quinque fratrum by Bruno of Quertfurt. That locality, later connected with the Camaldolian order, is almost forgotten today. The article represents one of the few remarks dealing with such missions to Central Europe from Italy early after the year 1000.