A Benedictine abbey on an island of the Po delta, east of Ferrara.
Given to the abbey of San Salvatore at Pavia in 981 and placed under the archbishop of Ravenna about 999, it later freed itself and grew rich on private gifts, with lands around it and across Italy and a salt pan at Comacchio. Its abbots judge their own people in the Palazzo della Ragione beside the church. Since the Po broke through at Ficarolo in 1152 the branch that served it has been drying up, and the Este of Ferrara have pressed on its lands since about 1150.
Who holds it
- Title
- Abbot of Pomposa
- Since
- not pinned
- Confidence
- low
No abbot for 1200 was found in the sources read.
What it holds
- The island of Pomposa and the abbey's lands around Codigoro, with the abbots' court of justice
- A salt pan at Comacchio
- Estates elsewhere in Italy
How it was acquired
Benedictine settlement from the 6th or 7th century; given to San Salvatore of Pavia in 981; under Ravenna about 999; independent thereafter through private donations.
How things stand that morning
The abbot holds the island and its lands and judges its people, but the abbey's surroundings are declining after the Ficarolo flood of 1152.
Wealth
Salt from its Comacchio pan; farms, fisheries and marsh of the delta.
Threats
- The Este of Ferrara
- Silting and malaria after the Po changed course
Advocates and rivals
The archbishop of Ravenna, its former superior; the Este and the commune of Ferrara.
Places of note
- Abbey of Pomposa: The abbey, its bell tower and the Palazzo della Ragione
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The abbey's jurisdiction and holdings are attested in outline only; the abbot in 1200 is not pinned.
On the map: Drawn as the modern municipality of Codigoro, which contains the abbey; the delta coastline has moved since 1200.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.