In the Middle Ages, they housed one of the most important spiritual and cultural centers in the world, thanks to a group of Benedictine monks from Ravenna... #tuttitaly
The Pomposa Abbey is located in the municipality of Codigoro, in the province of Ferrara, along the Romea road in the open countryside. Its origins date back to the VI-VII century.
Once near the Abbey, we immediately notice the bell tower, which is enormous compared to the church.
The bell tower can be visited. Once you have climbed up to the belfry area, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the surrounding area.
On public holidays, the Church of Santa Maria, the heart of the complex, can be visited for free. The church's interior has three naves divided by Roman columns and a mosaic floor with marble inlays representing animals, geometric designs, and plants. The walls are covered with frescoes depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments.
The main altar is raised above the level of the church. In the apse behind the altar, we can admire the frescoes by Vitale da Bologna with scenes in which Christ, the Saints, and the Angels are depicted.
In a lateral nave is a tibia of the Pomposian abbot San Guido.
On the side of the church, we find the monastic complex, of which some rooms can be visited today, such as the refectory, the Sala Capitolare adorned with splendid frescoes painted by a pupil of Giotto and the Pomposian museum, in which we can admire materials from the church and the monastic complex:
capitals, bas-reliefs, statues, sacred objects, drawings of frescoes.
Note: The visit to the monastic complex is subject to a fee, and on weekdays, the ticket also entitles you to access the church.
Curiosity: in the abbey, the monk Guido d'Arezzo invented, during his stay, lyrical writing based on the system of seven notes.
