900 Years after the Death of Matilda of Canossa (1115-2015)

In 2015 falls the ninth centenary of the death of Matilda of Canossa, deceased sixty-nine years in Bondeno of Roncore in July 24, 1115 and buried, for her will, in San Benedetto Po near the Benedictine Monastery founded in 1007 by her grandfather Tedaldo.

In 1632 her remains were moved to St. Peter’s in Rome, where they currently lie in a beautiful tomb built by the sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Matilda of Canossa was a character of fundamental importance, for her role as a mediator between Empire and Papacy, for the support given to the reform of the church of Gregory VII, for the civilizing activity carried out in all the places where she worked, being lady of a large area of our country, extending from Garda to the Bolsena Lake, with domains that included the counties of Reggio, Modena, Mantua, and part of those of Brescia, Verona, Cremona, Parma, Bologna, Ferrara, Rovigo and all the brand of Tuscany, with part of Umbria and northern Lazio. This has made it symbol of our history and a myth in which, as a governor and as a woman, they have recognized hundreds of locations scattered throughout Italy.
To celebrate this character, even in a difficult moment like the current, it was formed to coordinate the places where Matilda of Canossa was present and remembered, to put together the efforts for the organization of a package of different types of initiatives to attract the interest of people, also internationally.

The calendar of the events was presented in Rome on January 21 in the presence of undersecretary of cultural heritage Ilaria Borletti Buitoni and in Mantua the 23 of January.

These are the most significant events, updated today, that we expect to achieve in the course of 2015 in San Benedetto Po:
11 April – 8 November – Guided tour “ Matilda and her monastery in the ninth centenary of her death in 1115 – 2015. Churches and places hidden in eight centuries of history”
18 April – 31 October – Polironiano Civic Museum, “Matilda’s silks” exhibition of the autumn-winter 2015 collection of scarves by Parcae dedicated to Matilda of Canossa, a project made in Italy in the name of tradition.
2 May – 14 February 2016 – Polironiano Civic Museum, shows “ Capable hands: from the frame to the haute couture in the collections of Lidia Mantovani from Quistello (MN)”.
13 June – 31 August – Monastic refectory, “The face of Matilda”, exhibition curated by Francesco Martani and Club UNESCO San Benedetto Po.
20 and 21 June– “The voice in the silence”, guided tour of the monastery between lights, sounds, scents and flavours.
18 July – “The sky in a glass”, guided tour to discover the astronomical influence on the life and activities of the Benedictine monks, with tasting of the brightest wines in the Oltrepo mantovano and therefore the visit of the astronomic observatory.
24 July – (Matilda’s death) in the evening parade with groups from various mathildic territories and arrival of the participants of the pilgrimage: “From the blood to the face”( from Mantua 23 July and arriving in Lucca on August 5).
25 July – 10.00 am Holy Mass with the bishop of Mantua
– 11.00 am civic event in the square
– Presenting novel and instructional book on the history of Matilda of Canossa by David and Matthaus Editions.
– In the evening screening of the movie “In the death of Matilda of Canossa – honour and pride of Italy and Europe life”, directed by Ubaldo Montruccoli, CONVA production (Consortium for the promotion of products of the Appennines).
22 August – “The sky in a glass”, guided tour to discover the astronomical influence on the life and activities of the Benedictine monks, with tasting of the brightest wines in the Oltrepo mantovano and therefore the visit of the astronomic observatory
2 – 4 October – “Nedar Fair” with food stands, conferences and exhibitions.
20 – 24 October – “Matilde of Canossa and her time” conferences organized by the CISAM (Italian Centre of Studies of high Middle Ages).
25 October – “Lambrusco between myth and reality”, visit to the monastic complex animated by a Benedictine monk telling the secrets of the origins of Lambrusco, with tasting.
7 November – Presentation of the book “The Romea Imperial way. Mantua and Pistoia on the road to Germany”.