Breme is a small medieval town of roughly 900 inhabitants with a rich history, situated amidst the green “lungs” of the Lomellina, in the province of Pavia, where the river Sesia flows into the Po. It is an important tourist destination, with its historic monuments quaintly set in the old town. The town itself boasts a rich, millenary history which began in 906, when the Marquis Adalberto of Ivrea presented the Benedictine monks of Novalesa (in the province of Torino), evicted during the Saracen raids, with “the courts” of Breme and Pollicino. They built the Abazia di San Pietro in Breme, which became one of the most important abbeys in Italy and Europe in the 10th and 11th century. In 1306, Breme was besieged and conquered by Galeazzo Visconti’s troops and the abbey was turned into a military facility. In 1542, the monks of Novalesa were replaced by the monks from Monte Oliveto (in the province of Siena). The former abbey currently houses the Town Hall. Places of interest: • Crypt dating from the 10th century • Abbey of San Pietro, 10th – 11th century • The Friars’ Kitchen, 16th century • Refectory and Ice-House, 16th century • Church of Santa Maria Assunta, 9th – 15th century • Baptistery, 8th – 10th century • Obelisc of San Carlo Borromeo, 17th century • Church of San Sebastiano, 17th century • Church of Santa Maria of Pollicino, 10th century.