SAN BENEDETTO POLIRONE. - An ancient Benedictine abbey in the province and diocese of Mantova, in the village now called S. Benedetto Po. The ancient designation derived from the confluence of the Lirone, now filled in, with the Po.
The abbey was founded by Count Tebaldo in 984 and enriched by donations from Countess Matilde, whose tomb is said to be in the abbey church of SS. Floriano e Benedetto; this was originally in the Romanesque style; it was rebuilt in 1246 with three naves divided by columns and cross vaults, and the cloister and lofty bell tower were added to II. Giulio Romano transformed it between 1538 and 1542. In the choir are 32 terracotta statuettes by A. Begarelli. Remarkable is the nearby church of the Immacolata, of the 12th century, which preserves a mosaic pavement with the cardinal Virtues and fantastic animals, dated 1151.