San Benedetto Monastery

Once a place of prayer and education, the Monastery of San Benedetto is one of Brescello’s historic landmarks.
As early as 1553, it housed a school for girls, bearing witness to the educational and spiritual role it played in the area for centuries.
Closed in 1798, the building served many different purposes in the centuries that followed: a municipal barracks from 1873, a primary school, housing, workshops and, in the 20th century, even the Casa del Fascio.
Over time, the ancient monastic complex has been transformed into a multi-purpose cultural centre.

Today it houses the Peppone and Don Camillo Museum, the Raffaele Vaccari Collection dedicated to the art of violin-making, the ‘Antonio Panizzi’ Library, the Municipal Toy Library and Video Library, the Youth Information Centre, the Archaeological Museum, the Zatti Hall for concerts and conferences, and the self-managed Senior Citizens’ Centre.
An exemplary revival, combining memory, culture and community life in a single space where the town’s history continues to live on and renew itself every day.