Pomposa Abbey
Pomposa Abbey
4.5
8:30 AM - 7:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 7:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 7:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 7:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 7:30 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 7:30 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 7:30 PM
About
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles672 reviews
Excellent
403
Very good
214
Average
28
Poor
11
Terrible
16

Natalie S
Barnstaple, UK10 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Couples
Extremely boring and underwhelming. Sorry, really can't think of anything positive to say. Just free parking nearby
Written 15 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bebsaurus_13
Paris, France803 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
On the long drive between Ferrara and Ravenna, we stopped at the Abbey to have a break and were rewarded with a very interesting site.

The Abbey that used to be on an island in the channel of the Po river was established over 1000 years ago and expanded then collapsed since. The restoration work has been excellent without completely overdoing it. As such there are beautiful mosaics and sections of mural art, housed in a some very interesting architecture.

The visit is 5 EUR and well worth it.
Written 11 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ANGELO V
Milan, Italy2,939 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023
The earliest report of a Benedictine abbey at this site dates from 874, by which time Pomposa was already an important center of Carolingian art.
The abbey buildings date from the 11th century, and it was of great importance for the conservation and diffusion of culture during the Middle Ages, thanks to the amanuensis monks who lived there. In this abbey the monk Guido d'Arezzo conceived the modern musical notation and fixed the name of the musical notes.

The monks of Pomposa migrated to another location in 1650, leaving the abbey unoccupied. In the 19th century the abbey was acquired by the Italian government.

The visit to the abbey includes:
- the refectory, with on the east wall a fresco with the Deesis in the center (Christ between the Virgin, Saint John, Saint Benedict, Saint Guido), on the left the Last Supper, on the right the miracle of Saint Guido
- the museum, located in the ancient monks' dormitory, with materials from the abbey church and the monastic complex: marble materials, ceramics, liturgical objects and detached frescoes.
- the chapter house decorated with early 14th-century frescoes by a direct pupil of Giotto depicting Saint Benedict and prophets (north wall), Saint Guido and pairs of prophets (south wall), Crucifixion (east wall)
- the church itself, whose interior contains a 12th-century Cosmatesque and mosaic inlaid stone pavement, and frescoes in the apse by Vitale da Bologna and his assistants (14th century), with stories from the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Apocalypse of John:
- Old Testament frescoes include Adam and Eve and original sin, Cain and Abel, Noah's ark and the universal flood, episodes from the life of Abraham, Jacob and his dream, Joseph and his brothers, the translation of the Ark of the Covenant, David and Goliath, the prophet Daniel in the lions' den, the prophet Elijah taken up to heaven by a chariot of fire.
- The New Testament frescoes include the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the massacre of the Innocents, the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, the Baptism of Jesus, the Transformation of water into wine (wedding at Cana), the daughter of the arch-synagogue Jairus and the son of the widow of Naim, both resurrected by Jesus, the resurrection of Lazarus of Bethany, Christ's entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Garden of Olives, the Crucifixion (recalling the frescoes by Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel and by Giusto dei Menabuoi in the Baptistery of Padua), the Deposition of Christ, the disbelief of Thomas, the Ascension, Pentecost.
- The Apocalypse frescoes include a representation of the Last Judgment (bottom right, looking at the exit): the devils carrying out cruel tortures, the damned, Lucifer with his jaws. On the opposite side, an angel leads towards Christ the blessed in which there are bishops and abbots, and the patriarchs of the Church (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) welcome the souls of Limbo towards beatitude. Christ the Judge and the blessing Christ among hosts of angels and blessed complete the frescoes

The free-standing campanile (begun in 1063 and completed within several decades), standing at 48 m, is one of the finest surviving belltowers from the Romanesque period.
Written 10 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Scielbi
Santa Fe, NM1,380 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
After leaving Ravenna we stopped here to visit the Abbey. Definitely worth the visit. The church & the museum. It cost only 10€ for the two of us. Worth the price.
Written 4 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chiara R
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Family
The place looks amazing and I think the visit is worth it. Unfortunately I couldn’t get in because I didn’t have cash to pay for the ticket. I agree about paying the ticket but I couldn’t because they don’t accept credit card or bancomat. Paying on line for foreigners is impossible because the web site is not working properly and very complicated….we are in Italy….
Written 27 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Natalie S
Barnstaple, UK10 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
We were under-awed with the Abbey. Yes, the frescoes and mosaic floors were beautiful but not that impressive. The 'museum' was dull. Could easily have missed this one out.
Written 25 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

calumthemighty
durham, NC USA391 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2018 • Family
We stopped at Pomposa Abbey on our way between Ravenna and Venice. It was our last full day in Italy, and I had big plans. This was the centerpiece.

The tall, distinctive bell tower acts as a beacon as you approach this monastic complex. The brick architecture reminded me of Ravenna's churches. Inside, however, there is a stunning difference.

The refectory has some really nice frescoes on display. The museum is somewhat lackluster. The Chapter House also contains contains high quality frescoes. None of this prepares you for the riches inside the church itself.

The walls of Pomposa's church are covered in amazing frescoes depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments. This was a common practice within medieval churches to teach the faithful, most of whom were illiterate. Look closer, however, and you will find some disturbing images from the Book of Revelation.

Everywhere you look, there is more to see. Our whole family (kids included) could have spent another hour or so studying the imagery, but we had to go. We had to meet the owners of our apartment outside of Venice. If you are interested in medieval art and iconography, you will also find it hard to pull your eyes away from the incredible display within Pomposa's abbey church.
Written 30 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dven8
Vicenza, Italy397 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Couples
This monastery complex stems from the very earliest Christian era, with documentary evidence as early as 874, and that evidence indicates the presence of a monastery 2-300 years prior. Most of the edifice stems from about 1000-1100, and it is gorgeous, inside and out. The "museum" is not much, but the church makes everything worth the visit. The mosaics and floor are astounding.
Written 2 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nicholas H
London, UK20,576 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Friends
Seeing the exterior of this Abbey in the middle of the countryside in Emilia Romagna might make you think you’d seen a miracle of religious architecture, in particular its wonderful bell tower. But go inside and prepare to be amazed all over again. The frescoes are magnificent but the mosaic floors are probably even more impressive. This was the highlight so far of my trip to a region blessed with many other astonishing sites of cultural, historic and architectural significance. A marvel of the ancient world, superbly preserved in the modern day.
Written 26 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Thomas Ozbun
Vicenza, Italy984 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2018 • Friends
Started at the ticket office (ticket was 2,50 reduced) which was located in the Palazzo della Ragione across from the church's entrance. We then entered the Refectory, where the monks used to eat, with several nice frescoes remaining particularly nice that depicting the Last Supper. Moving on we entered the small museum, which holds many artifacts belonging to the church, such as frescoes, statues, column heads etc. Next to the museum we peered inside the Chapter House with some nice frescoes depicting Jesus and other saints. Finally we went inside the church itself, which was first built in the 6th century while the building now dates to the 11th century. The main hall was amazing, diving the two side naves were some really nice and interesting columns, and the upper part of the naves, the apse, and the entrance were all decorated with 13th century frescoes. They mostly depicted the Old and New Testament, while the apse depicted Jesus with the Evangelists and the entrance an incredible Last Judgment. Furthermore, the floor was covered in splendid mosaics, in the opus sectile style, with animal and human figures.
Written 15 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Pomposa Abbey, Codigoro

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