About Us
Behind Motor City Monk
Matthew de Larcinese: Medievalist, Historian, and Museologist
Matthew de Larcinese is a medievalist, historian, and museologist living in the Detroit area of Michigan. He is a scholar of Catholic history and culture, with a particular focus on the historical connections between his own family lineage and the ecclesiastical and monastic heritage of Abruzzo, Italy.
While at the Doctoral College at the University of Leicester’s Medieval History and Museum Studies programs in England, Matthew concentrated on the significance of religious objects in 21st-century museums. This research was rooted in his deep study of Catholic relic culture and iconography, exploring their enduring influence on faith and devotion.
Matthew has worked extensively in Italy for over 20 years, conducting in-depth genealogical research into his family's origins in Abruzzo. Using archival documents, notary records, and Y-DNA analysis, he has traced 30 family lines back to the 1500s, uncovering their roles as land stewards and administrators. His surname, "de Larcinese," reflects his family's historical connection to the "area of the monasteries" (Arcisanum), a name derived from the lands they managed and cultivated under monastic stewardship through Monte Cassino near Rome.
Among his most significant findings is evidence of his family's alignment with the Benedictine Order and its branches, the Cistercian and Celestine Orders. These monastic communities were instrumental in shaping the spiritual and economic life of his ancestral village. Through research at Monte Cassino and other Benedictine sites, Matthew has uncovered records of his family's early land acquisitions and their service to the Church. His lineage includes ecclesiastical nobility, such as Guglielmo de Berardo (of the Arcisanum), a priest and artist who authored illuminated missals, including the Missale Romanum found in the Vatican Library. This missal was used in the chapel of San Giulia within Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Matthew's work extends to the recovery of lost monastic sites. His recent exploration uncovered the location of a Benedictine/ Cistercian/Celestine monastery in Abruzzo, destroyed during the mid-14th century. While he has identified and recovered material culture from the site—pottery, architectural fragments, and more—further archaeological excavation is needed to fully reconstruct the daily life of this religious community.
In addition to his genealogical and archaeological pursuits, Matthew is dedicated to preserving and restoring his family's historic lands in Abruzzo, which date back over 600 years. Over the last decade, he has reacquired 16 acres of this ancestral property, with plans to expand his holdings and honor the area's rich monastic history.
Matthew's work is a testament to his passion for uncovering the spiritual and cultural legacy of the Catholic Church. Through his meticulous research, he aims to illuminate the faith and devotion that shaped his family’s history and the communities in which they lived.
For inquiries, please contact: matthew@motorcitymonk.com