life Romuald formed a great number of "deserts" throughout
central Italy. His chief foundation was at Camaldoli on the heights of
the Tuscan Apennines not far from Arezzo, in a vale snow-covered during
half the year. Romuald's idea was to reintroduce into the West the
primitive eremitical form of monachism, as practised by the first
Egyptian and Syrian monks. His monks dwelt in separate huts around the
oratory, and came together only for divine service and on certain days
for meals. The life was one of extreme rigour in regard to food,
clothing, silence and general observance. Besides the hermits there were
lay brothers to help in carrying out the field work and rougher
occupations. St Romuald and the early Camaldolese exercised considerable
influence on the religious movements of their time; the emperors Otto
III. and Henry II. esteemed him highly and sought his advice on
religious questions. Disciples of St Romuald went on missions to the
still heathen parts of Russia, Poland and Prussia, where some of them
suffered martyrdom. In his extreme old age St Romuald with twenty-five
of his monks started on a missionary expedition to Hungary, but he was
unable to accomplish the journey. He died in 1027. After his death
mitigations were gradually introduced into the rule and manner of life;
and in the monastery of St Michael in Murano, Venice, the life became
cenobitical. From that time to the present day there have always been
both eremitical and cenobitical Camaldolese, the latter approximating to
ordinary Benedictine life. The Camaldolese spread all over Italy, and
into Germany, Poland and France. Camaldoli itself exists as a "desert,"
the primitive observance of the institute being strictly maintained.
There are a few other "deserts," all in Italy, except one in Poland; and
there are about 90 hermits. The chief monastery of the cenobitical
Camaldolese is S. Gregorio on the Caelian Hill in Rome; they number less
than forty. Since the 11th century there have been Camaldolese nuns; at
present there are five nunneries with 150 nuns, all belonging to the
cenobitical branch of the order. The habit of the Camaldulians is white.

See Helyot, _Hist. des ordres religieux_ (1792) v. cc. 21-25; Max
Heimbucher, _Orden und Kongregationen_ (1896) i. S 29; and the art.
"Camaldulenser" in Wetzer and Welte, _Kirchenlexikon_ (2nd ed.), and
Herzog, _Realencyklopadie_ (3rd ed.). (E. C. B.)

CAMARGO, MARIE ANNE DE CUPIS DE (