Lombardia · Mantova
San Benedetto Po
A former river island whose entire existence traces back to the Benedictine abbey founded on it in 1007.
Picked by Peter Benei
Letter to come
Why San Benedetto Po is on our list
It holds Borghi più belli d'Italia.
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Visiting
- Best time
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- By car
- 53 min from Verona
- By train
- Station in the comune
- Population
- 6,729
- J8°
- F12°
- M15°
- A19°
- M23°
- J29°
- J32°
- A31°
- S26°
- O21°
- N13°
- D8°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime air temperature, averages for 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
San Benedetto Po sits in the flat Po plain, 22 kilometers southeast of Mantova, on what was once an island between the Po and the Lirone rivers. The town has no origin apart from the abbey: in 1007 Tedald of Canossa, grandfather of Matilda, granted half his land between the two rivers to the Benedictines, and the resulting monastery became one of the principal centers of the Gregorian Reform in northern Italy. Matilda herself, the countess who hosted the emperor's penance at Canossa in 1077, was buried within it for five centuries before her remains went to Rome.
The abbey held its position from its founding until the Napoleonic suppression of 1797 emptied the community out, by which time it had grown its church, its three cloisters, its refectory and infirmary. What is left standing today is essentially the monastery's own floor plan with the town arranged around it. A place built entirely by and for a religious institution, still legible as such long after the monks themselves are gone.
How to get there
From Verona (VRN), about 1 h 1 min by car.
Bologna (BLQ) is about 1 h 7 min away.
By car from the center of Parma 1 h 9 min.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
Coming from Verona, Bologna or Venice?
Coming by train into Modena? San Benedetto Po is about 48 min away by road.
Every town within reach of Verona airport.
First time driving in Italy? Read our complete manual.
What to see
Abbazia di San Benedetto in Polirone
The complex holds frescoes by Correggio and statues by Begarelli, added when Giulio Romano restructured it between 1540 and 1547.
Basilica di San Benedetto
The church Giulio Romano redesigned stands at cathedral scale, the visual center around which the rest of the monastery is arranged.
Chiostri di Polirone
Three cloisters, one for each major building phase from medieval through Renaissance, forming the working spine of the monastery behind the church.
Refettorio e infermeria
The dining hall and the infirmary of the working monastery, plain rooms that outlasted the 1797 suppression when the rest of the community's life here ended.
Piazza Teofilo Folengo
The open square before the abbey, named for the Benedictine poet who lived within its walls in the sixteenth century.
Living here
Could you live here?
San Benedetto Po meets all 3 of our rules for a small town.
- 6,729 people, inside our sweet spot of 5,000 to 20,000: a real town, still one community.
- Mantova, a city of 49,607, is 32 min by car. Inside our 30 to 60 minutes: close for the services, far enough to keep its own life.
- A station of its own. Trains are the overlooked way to get around Italy: no parking, straight into the center.
The rules come from our series Where to Move in Italy, written from the places we have lived: Part 1, The End of the Road · Part 2, The Small Town · Part 3, The City · Part 4, The Postcard · Part 5, The Other Half. The towns we would pick are in Part 6, The Best Towns.
- Population 6,729, down 8.6% since 2015
- Nearest city Mantua, 32 min drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest national health service hospital Borgo Mantovano, 15 km as the crow flies · how healthcare works in Italy
- Homes in the center: €700 to €950 per m² to buy, €4.30 to €6.30 per m² a month to rent
Weighing a move here? See the moving year.
All the numbers Common questions, designations, lists and sources.
More about living here
- In-between
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Full fibre reaches 75% of homes
- Primary school in the comune
- Earthquake zone 3, low hazard
- Verona airport (VRN), 1 h 1 min drive, the nearest with scheduled flights
- Market day Tuesday
- Regional capital Milan, 2 h 23 min drive
If you are moving here
Who lives here
10% of residents are foreign citizens, most often from Morocco, India and Bangladesh, against 9% across Italy. There are 281 people over 65 for every 100 children under 15, against 216 across Italy. 25% of homes have no resident, holiday homes and empty ones counted together, against 27% across Italy. Mantua province ranks 34th of 107 in Il Sole 24 Ore's quality of life ranking for 2025.
Health and schools
The nearest emergency room is in Borgo Mantovano, 15 km as the crow flies. The nearest major one is in Mantua, 16 km away. The nearest children's emergency room is in Reggio nell'Emilia, 44 km away. The nearest IB school is International School of Verona, 44 km as the crow flies.
Information, not medical advice. Confirm with a professional.
Taxes
A home that is not your main one pays 1.04% a year in property tax, charged on the cadastral value rather than the price. A main home pays none unless it is in a luxury category. The town adds 0.78% to your income tax, with nothing due on income under €12,000. 7% pensioner tax: this town is not in a qualifying area.
Information, not tax advice. Confirm with a professional.
What it costs
The average household in Lombardia spends about €2,410 a month, €510 of it on food, against about €2,170 across Italy. A family of three pays about €415 a year for water, on the Lombardia average. In Mantua, the provincial capital, in September 2026, an espresso cost €1.35, a meal in a pizzeria €13.90 and a man's haircut €20.84.
Climate and risk
It is in climate zone E, on a scale from A, the warmest, to F, the coldest, and heating may run from October 15 to April 15, up to 14 hours a day, unless the mayor changes it. 3% of residents live in a zone the national maps rate high for floods, 16% in a high or medium one. They show no residents in a high landslide zone.
These shares cover the whole comune, not any one street. Check an address on IdroGEO.
Moving from abroad? Which visa you need. Sources: ISTAT, the Ministry of Health, ISPRA, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Enterprise, Poste Italiane, the comuni, the IB, International Schools Database, Il Sole 24 Ore, Cittadinanzattiva.
Known for
POLIRONE
The Benedictine abbey founded in 1007, one of the largest monastic complexes in Italy, restructured by Giulio Romano.
MATILDA OF CANOSSA
The countess of Tuscany was buried here from 1115 to 1633, when her remains were transferred to Saint Peter's in Rome.
THE PO
The town sits at 19 meters between the Po and the former Lirone, on what was once an island in the river.
IGP ZONES
The commune lies inside the Melone Mantovano and Pera mantovana IGP production zones.
Common questions
- What is San Benedetto Po known for?
- San Benedetto Po is a former river island whose entire existence traces back to the Benedictine abbey founded on it in 1007.
- Where is San Benedetto Po?
- San Benedetto Po is a comune in the province of Mantova, in Lombardia, at 19 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to San Benedetto Po?
- The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Verona (VRN), about 1 h 1 min by car.
- Can you get to San Benedetto Po without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Parma to San Benedetto Po?
- About 1 h 9 min by car.
- When is the best time to visit San Benedetto Po?
- Best in Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 32 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 14 rain days.
- Which other towns are like San Benedetto Po?
- Gualtieri, Montagnana and Sabbioneta.
- How many people live in San Benedetto Po?
- 6,729 residents, by ISTAT's count on 1 January 2025.
- Is San Benedetto Po a good place to live?
- By the rules in our Where to Move in Italy series, San Benedetto Po is a small town that meets all 3 of our rules. The nearest city, Mantova, is 32 min away by car. The nearest national health service hospital is in Borgo Mantovano, 15 km as the crow flies. Full fibre reaches 75% of homes.
Tags & data designations · numbers · sources
Recognized as
The numbers
- Elevation: 19 m
- Population: 6,729
- Surface area: 69.94 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
The ranked lists
Lists San Benedetto Po appears in
- The 6 prettiest villages in the province of MantovaMantova provinceprettiest villages6 towns · smallest 250 residents
- The best towns known for what they grow within 90 minutes of BresciaNear Bresciawithin 90 minproduce zone6 towns · smallest 1,500 residents · closest 48 min away
- The best towns known for what they grow within an hour of VeronaNear Veronawithin 60 minproduce zone6 towns · smallest 1,500 residents · closest 34 min away
- The best towns known for what they grow within 75 minutes of ParmaNear Parmawithin 75 minproduce zone7 towns · smallest 1,700 residents · closest 40 min away
- The best towns known for what they grow within two hours of TrentoNear Trentowithin 2 hoursproduce zone10 towns · smallest 1,500 residents · closest 65 min away
- The best towns you can reach by train within 75 minutes of ParmaNear Parmaby trainwithin 75 min10 towns · smallest 3,770 residents · closest 4 min away
Similar
Towns like San Benedetto Po
What all six share with San Benedetto Po: in the Po valley · between 3,000 and 10,000 people · near sea level
Gualtieri
Province: Reggio nell'Emilia
both have a railway station in the comune
Montagnana
Province: Padova
both have a railway station in the comune
Sabbioneta
Province: Mantova
53 min apart by road
Pizzighettone
Province: Cremona
both have a railway station in the comune
Busseto
Province: Parma
both have a railway station in the comune
Volta Mantovana
Province: Mantova
55 min apart by road
The letter
San Benedetto Po is on our list. Its letter is still to come.
We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter: the photo, what is worth eating, and when to turn up. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when San Benedetto Po comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Turin.
The nearest town we have written up is Abetone Cutigliano, 101 km away. Read its letter →
Paid plans, the moving year and the books are on the membership page.