NOVALESA. - A Benedictine abbey erected in honor of SS. Peter and Andrew by the Frankish Abbot Abbone in 726 on a charming hill between the streams of the Bar and Cenischia, on the ancient road of the Mont Cenis Pass, 8.5 km from Susa.
It was enriched with gifts by the Carolingian kings, especially by Charlemagne, a friend of Abbot Frodoino, who gave strong impetus to the abbey. At the same time, the monk Attempero composed an evangelistary, and Abbot St. Eldrado obtained from Florus of Lyon a revised text of the Psalms. With the Saracen invasion at the beginning of the 10th century, its monks, with Abbot Donnivarto, took refuge partly in the monastery of SS. Andrew and Clement in Turin and partly in the newly founded abbey of Brem (q.v.). Pius VII united Novalesa to Montecassino in 1821; suppressed in 1855, since 1884 it has been the summer residence of the National Boarding School of Turin.
The abbey church was rebuilt by Amadeus II (1712); among the chapels existing in the monastery area, one should recall that of St. Eldrado, abbot of the monastery between the years 825-27, frescoed in the 13th century; in the apse, the Savior with the book, on which is written LXX; on the sides, SS. Michael, Gabriel, Nicholas, and Eldrado. In the vault, scenes from the life of St. Nicholas; in the center, the Divine Lamb with the four cardinal points. In the transept, episodes from the life of St. Eldrado; among the relics of the monastery, noteworthy is the silver chest containing his relics (11th century).
The monastery was dedicated to SS. Peter and Andrew, but legend sought to derive the name Novalicium from *nova lux*, claiming that this had been brought there by St. Peter himself, whereas perhaps some *brandea* were brought there that had been deposited at the Apostle’s tomb. The most notable surviving codex of the Library is that containing the Martyrology of Ado in Carolingian minuscule; other codices from the monastery were identified by C. Cipolla in various libraries (*Ricerche sull'antica biblioteca del monastero della N.*, Turin 1894).