Abbazia di Pomposa e Museo Pomposiano
The Benedictine abbey of the Po Delta along the via Romea, with a frescoed church, floor mosaics, a tall Romanesque bell tower and a museum.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Pomposa lies about 50 km from Ferrara and 20 km from Comacchio, along the coastal via Romea, which pilgrims bound for Rome travelled in the Middle Ages. It is the abbey of the Po Delta, an area included in the UNESCO sites since 1999 together with Ferrara and the Delizie Estensi.
The complex is organised in three nuclei: the bell tower with the church of Santa Maria, the cloister with the annexed rooms, and the Palazzo della Ragione. The atrium with three arches was added in the time of Abbot Guido, shortly before the new consecration of the church in 1026, by the master Mazulo. The Romanesque bell tower, about 48 metres high, was begun in 1063 by the master Deusdedit and has nine storeys, reached by 201 steps.
The church has a three-aisled basilica plan and is entirely frescoed: the apse, the work of Vitale da Bologna in the 14th century, and the central nave, in the Vitalian school, with scenes from the Old and New Testaments and from the Apocalypse, while the Last Judgement is on the counter-façade. The floor in mosaic and opus sectile, in four sectors datable between the 11th and 12th centuries, includes Pomposa’s only figurative mosaic. Around the cloister are preserved the chapter house, the sala delle Stilate and the refectory, today part of the Museo Pomposiano.
Highlights
- Romanesque bell tower of about 48 metres
- 14th-century frescoes by Vitale da Bologna in the apse
- Floor mosaics of the 11th and 12th centuries
- Last Judgement on the counter-façade
- Chapter house, sala delle Stilate and refectory
Permanent exhibition
- Abbazia e Museo Pomposiano – Visit to the church with its 14th-century frescoes and floor mosaics, the bell tower, the monastic rooms around the cloister and the Palazzo della Ragione.
- Founded
- 801
- Operated by
- Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Emilia-Romagna (Ministero della Cultura)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 71,955
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
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| Reduced | €2young people aged 18 to 25 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for all citizens under 18. |
| Standard ticket with printed guide | €7 |
Free admission: First Sunday of the month, 25 April, 7 May, 2 June, 4 November and 11 November
On public holidays the standard ticket costs €3, with free entry to the church, and the reduced ticket is free for the church. Further reductions are available. Only payments with the Musei Italiani app and card terminals at the ticket office are accepted; cash is not accepted.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
People with mobility disabilities can reach all the rooms of the museum on the ground floor by ramps; the bell tower is climbed by 201 steps.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The abbey is on the via Romea, about 50 km from Ferrara and 20 km from Comacchio.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | In the museum there are captions in several languages; English panels on the abbey, the bell tower, the Palazzo della Ragione, the park and the church. Tickets online with the Musei Italiani app. |
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