General Alexander has decided that the monastery should be bombed if General Freyberg considers it a military necessity. With this statement to the Fifth Army headquarters on the morning of 13 February 1944, the fate of the Abbey of Monte Cassino rested in the hands of Freyberg, the New Zealand Corps Commander.

The towering hill of Monte Cassino topped by the monastery was the linchpin of the line that the Allies were determined to capture, because breaking through the Gustav Line was necessary for reaching Rome, which was finally captured on June 5.

Cassino, town, Lazio (Latium) regione, central Italy. Cassino lies along the Rapido River at the foot of Monte (mount) Cassino, 87 miles (140 km) southeast of Rome. It originated as Casinum, a town of the ancient Volsci people on a site adjacent to the modern town, on the lower slopes of the mountain.