Abbazia territoriale della Vangadizza

The birth of the abbey of Vangadizza is generally connected to the donations of the Marquis Almerico of Mantua and his wife Franca, the last of which was a provision of December 6, 954, made by Signora Franca, now a widow; in this arrangement the basilica of Santa Maria is just rebuilt, while not much else is known of the previous and more modest church. Other donations are made by Ugo di Toscana, with the endorsement of the kings of Italy Berengario II and Adalberto: in the donation of 30 May 96 we speak for the first time of an abbot and in that of 29 May 993 we speak of a Benedictine monastery under construction.

The abbey of Vangadizza gained feudal independence on 26 December 996 and around the year 1000, during the pontificate of Sylvester II, it became a diocese subject to the Holy See. Independence was then confirmed by Emperor Federico Barbarossa on 7 August 1177 and by Pope Celestino III on 26 June 1196. Under the temporal power of the Benedictine abbots, many peasants came to reclaim the territory leading to a progressive improvement of the area. The abbey collected tributes and offered protection to the inhabitants.

From 23 September 1213 the abbey of Vangadizza began to follow the Camaldolese Order.

The abbey of Vangadizza was suppressed on 11 April 1789 by the Republic of Venice and in 1792 it was also suppressed as a diocese and the twelve Polesine parishes were aggregated to the diocese of Adria, while the parish of Rubano was aggregated to the diocese of Padua.

On April 25, 1810 the basilica of Santa Maria della Vangadizza, in Romanesque-Gothic style, was closed and demolition work began, which stopped when they were almost completed. Of the building only an apse chapel and the bell tower have been preserved. The altars and other parts have been transferred to the church of San Michele Arcangelo di Canda