744, thanks to the donation of Gisulf II of Benevento, the monastery became the capital of a new state, called Terra Sancti Benedicti ("Land of Saint Benedict"). Few years later the town was re-founded by Abbot Bertharius and called Eulogimenopolis, meaning "city of Saint Benedict" in Greek. In 883 the monastery and the town were again attacked, this time by Saracens, and Bertharius was killed along with some other monks. The abbey was again rebuilt in 949 by the decision of Pope Agapetus II and, together with the town, renamed San Germano (after Saint Germanus of Capua), began to experience a prosperous period. For defensive purposes, the castle Rocca Janula, which still dominates the town today, was also built. In the abbey are conserved the Placiti Cassinesi, dated 960–963, considered the first documents ever written in the Italian language. The abbey of San Germano had ceased to exist by the time of Abbot Richerius (1038–1055), when it was a parish church under an archpriest. On July 23, 1230, the city was the site of the signing of the peace between Pope Gregory IX and Frederick II, which took place in the church of San Germano. On 9 September 1349, San Germano was destroyed by a large earthquake, which also seriously damaged the abbey. The reconstruction took place in 1366, at Pope Urbano V's will. Modern era During the Renaissance era Cassino lay on the northern frontier of the Kingdom of Naples, which was dominated by Spain. In 1504, during the Second Italian War, the French attempted to capture the town in the Battle of Cassino, but failed. On May 15–17, 1815, the town was the set of the final cruel battle of the Neapolitan War between an Austrian force commanded by Laval Nugent von Westmeath and the King of Naples, Joachim Murat. The so-called "Battle of San Germano" ended with the Austrian victory. On July 28, 1863 the name of the town was officially reverted to "Cassino". In the same year the town was reached by the rail system. Cassino was part of the Province Terra di Lavoro (meaning "Land of Work") until 1927, when the Province of Frosinone was founded. On May 21, 1930 a cable car leading from the town to the Abbey in 7 minutes, covering a vertical drop of over 400 metres, was inaugurated. World War II and afterwards In World War II, after southern Italy