a monastic order of the Roman Catholic Church. The name is derived from the desert of Fonte Avellana, near Faenza, where the first monastery of the order was established in 1001 by Ludolf, subsequently bishop of Eugubio. The best known member of this order is the abbot Peter Damiani (q.v.), under whom it made considerable progress. Little is known of its subsequent history, except that it greatly degenerated.'' In 1570, cardinal Jules de la Rovere, who had been appointed by pope Pius V abbot in commendam of the abbey of Fonte Avellana, caused the monks to unite with the Camaldulenses. — Helyot; Migne, Dict. des Ordres Religieux, s.v. Font Avellane.