Vivarium (monastery)

The Vivarium was a monastery founded around the year 544 by Roman statesman, Cassiodorus near Squillace, in Calabria, Italy. He also established a biblical studies center focused on studying the Bible as well as a library. It became a place where they worked on preserving Greek and Latin classical literature.

In 540, Cassiodorus retired from public life and moved into the monastery, ordering the Benedictine monks living there to learn about medicinal herbs and to copy various medical texts, supposedly including works of Galen, Hippocrates and of the pharmacist Dioscorides.

After Cassiodorus' death, the manuscripts housed here were dispersed, some making their way to the Lateran Palace.