Polirone Abbey
Encyclopedia
The abbey of San Benedetto in Polirone stands in the Italian comune San Benedetto Po
, near Mantua
.
The abbey was founded in 1007 by Tedald
, count of Canossa
, the paternal grandfather of Matilda of Canossa, countess of Tuscany
, with a grant to the Benedictine monks, of half his land lying between the rivers Po
and Lirone
, prompting the title "in Polirone". Polirone was the monastery most closely associated with his grand-daughter, Matilda, who granted estates and dependencies. Boniface III, Margrave of Tuscany made further grants and commissioned a larger church, housing the remains of the hermit, Simeon of Polirone (died 1016). In 1077 the community passed into the reformed Benedictines under the Abbey of Cluny
. At the time of the Gregorian reform
s, the abbot was one of the principal proponents of the papacy in the Investiture Conflict.
From 1115 until 1632, the abbey church housed thearca raised on eight columns housing the mortal remains of Matilda of Canossa, who had selected Polirone as her memorial place, rather than the ancestral mortuary church of Canossa. For centuries she was accorded almost the veneration of a founding patron saint
at Polirone. Her body was transferred to the Basilica of St. Peter, Rome, in 1632.
Polirone was one of the richest abbey
s of northern Italy. In the 15th century, Guido Gonzaga, abbot in commendam
, rebuilt the church in late Gothic style. The abbey church was rebuilt again, to designs of Giulio Romano
, in 1539-44, but some floor mosaics and sculptural details survive from the earlier church. The wall and vaults were extensively frescoed, by Antonio da Correggio
and Antonio Begarelli
, among others. The patrons funding the new construction through posthumous grants were two. One, the patroness, greeted by the monastic community as a "new Matilda", was Lucrezia Pico della Mirandola, sister of the humanist Giovanni Pico della Mirandola
. Cesare d'Arsago's will also provided funding. Thirty-one figures by Antonio Begarelli
of Modena were provided for the church, and Paolo Veronese
provided three altarpieces in 1562.
The abbey was secularized during the Napoleonic era, in 1797. Today there survive three cloisters, the free-standing great refectory
(1478–79), the "new" infirmary (1584), and the abbey church.
Three themed itineraries of the monastery, offered since the millennium celebration of 2007, concentrate on aspects of the cloistered life at Polirone: "Land and daily bread", "Herbs and monks", and "Prayer and reading".
San Benedetto Po
San Benedetto Po is a comune in the Province of Mantua in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 150 km southeast of Milan and about 15 km southeast of Mantua....
, near Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
.
The abbey was founded in 1007 by Tedald
Tedald of Canossa
Tedald , of the House of Canossa, was the count of Brescia from 980, Modena, Ferrara, and Reggio from 981, and Mantua from 1006. He used the title of margrave because of his vast comital holdings and their frontier nature. His family's seat was Canossa and he was the son of Adalbert Azzo of...
, count of Canossa
Canossa
Canossa is a comune and castle town in Emilia-Romagna, famous as the site where Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV did penance in 1077, standing three days bare-headed in the snow, in order to reverse his excommunication by Pope Gregory VII...
, the paternal grandfather of Matilda of Canossa, countess of Tuscany
Matilda of Tuscany
Matilda of Tuscany was an Italian noblewoman, the principal Italian supporter of Pope Gregory VII during the Investiture Controversy. She is one of the few medieval women to be remembered for her military accomplishments...
, with a grant to the Benedictine monks, of half his land lying between the rivers Po
Po
-Places:* Po , a major Italian river* Pô , the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Italy* Potha, the name of two villages in Pakistan* Po, Wiang Kaen, a village in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand...
and Lirone
Lirone
The lirone, the bass member of the lira family of instruments, is a bowed string instrument with between 9 and 16 gut strings. It is held between the legs in the manner of a cello or viol and like the viol its neck is generally fretted...
, prompting the title "in Polirone". Polirone was the monastery most closely associated with his grand-daughter, Matilda, who granted estates and dependencies. Boniface III, Margrave of Tuscany made further grants and commissioned a larger church, housing the remains of the hermit, Simeon of Polirone (died 1016). In 1077 the community passed into the reformed Benedictines under the Abbey of Cluny
Cluny Abbey
Cluny Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was built in the Romanesque style, with three churches built in succession from the 10th to the early 12th centuries....
. At the time of the Gregorian reform
Gregorian Reform
The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, circa 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy...
s, the abbot was one of the principal proponents of the papacy in the Investiture Conflict.
From 1115 until 1632, the abbey church housed thearca raised on eight columns housing the mortal remains of Matilda of Canossa, who had selected Polirone as her memorial place, rather than the ancestral mortuary church of Canossa. For centuries she was accorded almost the veneration of a founding patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
at Polirone. Her body was transferred to the Basilica of St. Peter, Rome, in 1632.
Polirone was one of the richest abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
s of northern Italy. In the 15th century, Guido Gonzaga, abbot in commendam
In Commendam
In canon law, commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody of a patron...
, rebuilt the church in late Gothic style. The abbey church was rebuilt again, to designs of Giulio Romano
Giulio Romano
Giulio Romano was an Italian painter and architect. A pupil of Raphael, his stylistic deviations from high Renaissance classicism help define the 16th-century style known as Mannerism...
, in 1539-44, but some floor mosaics and sculptural details survive from the earlier church. The wall and vaults were extensively frescoed, by Antonio da Correggio
Antonio da Correggio
Antonio Allegri da Correggio , usually known as Correggio, was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the Italian Renaissance, who was responsible for some of the most vigorous and sensuous works of the 16th century...
and Antonio Begarelli
Antonio Begarelli
Antonio Begarelli, also known as Begarino was an Italian sculptor.He was born at Modena, and is said to have been instructed by Giovanni dell'Abbate, the father of the painter Niccolò. Begarelli worked chiefly at Modena, where many churches are decorated with his plastic compositions in...
, among others. The patrons funding the new construction through posthumous grants were two. One, the patroness, greeted by the monastic community as a "new Matilda", was Lucrezia Pico della Mirandola, sister of the humanist Giovanni Pico della Mirandola
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola
Count Giovanni Pico della Mirandola was an Italian Renaissance philosopher. He is famed for the events of 1486, when at the age of 23, he proposed to defend 900 theses on religion, philosophy, natural philosophy and magic against all comers, for which he wrote the famous Oration on the Dignity of...
. Cesare d'Arsago's will also provided funding. Thirty-one figures by Antonio Begarelli
Antonio Begarelli
Antonio Begarelli, also known as Begarino was an Italian sculptor.He was born at Modena, and is said to have been instructed by Giovanni dell'Abbate, the father of the painter Niccolò. Begarelli worked chiefly at Modena, where many churches are decorated with his plastic compositions in...
of Modena were provided for the church, and Paolo Veronese
Paolo Veronese
Paolo Veronese was an Italian painter of the Renaissance in Venice, famous for paintings such as The Wedding at Cana and The Feast in the House of Levi...
provided three altarpieces in 1562.
The abbey was secularized during the Napoleonic era, in 1797. Today there survive three cloisters, the free-standing great refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
(1478–79), the "new" infirmary (1584), and the abbey church.
Three themed itineraries of the monastery, offered since the millennium celebration of 2007, concentrate on aspects of the cloistered life at Polirone: "Land and daily bread", "Herbs and monks", and "Prayer and reading".