Abbazia di Pomposa

History

Rising on what was once an island between the branches of the Po, it is documented from the ninth century and reached its peak around the year 1000, when it was one of the most powerful Benedictine monasteries of northern Italy. Here the monk Guido d'Arezzo revolutionised the history of music by inventing modern notation, and St Peter Damian also stayed here. The Romanesque bell tower, begun in 1063 by the master Deusdedit, soars about 48 metres above the Delta plain. Malaria emptied the abbey, abandoned by the monks in the seventeenth century: today it is a state museum, with fourteenth-century fresco cycles of the Giotto school along the nave walls.

Visiting

What to see

Romanesque bell tower 48m high, among Italy's most beautiful. Basilica in Ravenna style. Cosmati mosaics. Here Guido d'Arezzo invented modern musical notation.

Surroundings

Po Delta (UNESCO Heritage). Lagoon landscape. Po cycling path. Natural oases. Delta eels, rice, piadina bread.

Visitor information

Tuesday-Sunday 8:30am-7:30pm (last entry 6:45pm), closed Mondays.

Contacts

+39 0533 719110 · www.abbaziadipomposa.it · info@abbaziadipomposa.it

Hospitality and where to sleep

No guesthouse

No guesthouse. Hotels and B&Bs in Codigoro (5-10 km). Farm stays in the Po Delta.

Beds and prices

No guesthouse: the abbey is no longer home to a monastic community. You sleep in the surroundings: B&Bs and farm stays between Pomposa, Codigoro and Lido di Volano (budget-to-mid range), with more choice at the Comacchio lidos in season.

Services

Bar-refreshment and tourist refreshment points beside the complex, active mainly in season; toilets and a large car park. Important note: the ticket office takes only cards/POS or the Musei Italiani app — no cash. Water and shops in Codigoro and at the lidos.

Places to stay nearby (within 15 km)

• Camping Village I Tre Moschettiericampsite
  Lido di Pomposa, Comacchio (FE) · 13.8 km as the crow flies

  Price:

  Equipped tent area with parking and 4A electricity included in the pitch price

  Open:

  Approx. late April–mid-September

  Facilities:

  Direct access to a serviced beach, toilets/showers, restaurant, shop, swimming pools

  Source:

  https://www.tremoschettieri.com/camping-villaggio-mare-adriatico/campeggio-ai-lidi-ferraresi-lidi-di-comacchio-lido-di-pomposa

  Large four-star camping village on the Lidi di Comacchio, ~5 km from the route through Comacchio and a short distance from Pomposa Abbey. Dedicated tent area.

Getting there by bike

An entirely flat route: from Codigoro you pedal along the Po di Volano cycle route leading to the abbey, connected to the Destra Po corridor; the only care needed is crossing the busy Romea state road (SS309) onto which the abbey faces. Bike racks in the complex's car park. Museum and monastic complex ticket: full 5 €, reduced 2 €, free under 18 and on the first Sunday of the month; church free to enter on holidays.

The Po di Volano accompanies riders almost to the gate, all flat except for crossing the Romea road. No cash at the ticket office, card or app only: keep it charged before arriving. The bell tower is visible from afar, a natural guide across the Delta plain.

Racks in the complex's car park. Bar-refreshment stop next to the complex in season, water and shops in Codigoro.

Map and stages