What is San Benedetto Po known for?

The Benedictine abbey founded in 1007, one of the largest monastic complexes in Italy, restructured by Giulio Romano. The countess of Tuscany was buried here from 1115 to 1632, when her remains were transferred to Saint Peter's in Rome. The town sits at 19 meters between the Po and the former Lirone, on what was once an island in the river.

Where is San Benedetto Po?

San Benedetto Po is a comune in the province of Mantova, Lombardy region of Italy, about 58 kilometers from Modena.

Lombardy · Mantova

San Benedetto Po

The town that grew up around Polirone, the abbey founded in 1007 by the Canossa family, where Matilda of Canossa was buried for five centuries.

58 km / 36 mi

Nearest hub (Modena)

6,648

Population

Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Borghi più belli d'Italia

Why come

San Benedetto Po sitsin the flat Po plain, 22 kilometers southeast of Mantova, on what was once an island between the Po and the Lirone rivers. The town exists because of its abbey. In 1007, Tedald of Canossa, grandfather of Matilda, granted half his land between the two rivers to the Benedictines and the monastery he named San Benedetto in Polirone became one of the principal centers of the Gregorian Reform in northern Italy. Matilda of Canossa, the countess who hosted the emperor's penance at Canossa in 1077, was buried here from 1115 until 1632, when her remains were moved to Saint Peter's in Rome. Giulio Romano rebuilt the basilica between 1540 and 1547, with frescoes by Correggio and statues by Antonio Begarelli. The abbey kept its position until the Napoleonic suppression of 1797 emptied it. What survives, the basilica, three cloisters, the refectory, the infirmary, is one of the most significant Benedictine complexes in Italy.

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Gallery

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Known for

Abbazia di San Benedetto in Polirone
Benedictine abbey founded 1007 by Tedald of Canossa, restructured by Giulio Romano 1540-1547, with frescoes by Correggio and statues by Begarelli.
Basilica di San Benedetto
Abbey church redesigned by Giulio Romano, the cathedral-scale heart of the monastic complex.
Chiostri di Polirone
Three monastic cloisters from the medieval and Renaissance phases, attached to the basilica.
Refettorio e infermeria
The original Benedictine refectory and infirmary, both surviving the 1797 Napoleonic suppression of the monastery.
Piazza Teofilo Folengo
Square fronting the abbey, named for the sixteenth-century Benedictine poet Teofilo Folengo who lived in the monastery.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September into October are the months that suit the Po plain. The basilica is open without summer heat, the cycling routes along the river are dry, and the cloisters hold their cool morning shade. July and August push past thirty-two degrees in the valley and the humidity off the river makes midday heavy. November through March is quiet. River fog sits over the town for weeks at a time, the abbey courtyard empties of visitors, and the town belongs to its 6,600 residents. The feast of San Benedetto on 11 July marks the abbey's patronal day with a Mass in the basilica.