The most beautiful religious buildings Bologna

It is not a single church but a group of four churches (originally seven) in which twelve Benedictine monks still reside today. First we enter the 11th century church of the Crucifix (Chiesa del Crocifisso). A staircase on the left leads to the Pietà d'Angelo Piòand gives access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (del San Sepolcro), from the same period and containing the tomb of Saint Petronius. Its dome was, until 1804, decorated with frescoes. This is no longer the case today, but the mystical atmosphere still reigns in this church. We then pass into the Courtyard of Pilate (Cortile di Pilato), a regular quadrilateral where the restored facade of the Church of the Holy Trinity is located to the east. In the centre is the "Pilate's basin", a stone basin where Pontius Pilate is said to have washed his hands after Christ's death sentence. This Lombard work is actually dated between 730 and 740. After the Church of the Trinity (della Trinità), a transverse church with five naves dating back to the 13th century, you reach the cloister. From there, you can reach the small museum where some of the paintings are exhibited. Finally, the Basilica of Saints Vitale and Agricola, overlooking the picturesque Piazza Santo Stefano, is the one that has best maintained the characteristics of the Lombard Romanesque style. It is also the oldest in the city. Chapels, crypts, cloisters are linked together in a unique composition, giving off an atmosphere of great serenity.

This church dedicated to the patron saint of the city is one of the most beautiful creations of Italian Gothic architecture. Its construction began in 1390 and was not completed until 1659. A challenge set by the Bolognese, it was to become the largest basilica in the world. Unable to tolerate the idea that there was a basilica in Bologna larger than St. Peter's Church in Rome, the Pope decided otherwise by offering a new wing to the University of Bologna, placed right next to the basilica: a roundabout way to block the extent of its construction! The façade remained unfinished; only the lower level has been clad in white Istrian stone and pink Verona marble. Central portal decorated with bas-reliefs by Jacopo della Quercia. Inside, one is fascinated by the vastness of the Gothic style space and by the meridian drawn on the floor in 1655. Every June 21 at 1:16 pm, it marks the Bolognese summer solstice when the sun's rays illuminate the sign of cancer. The twenty-two chapels belonging to the donor families of the time and decorated with paintings can also be admired. The fourth on the left is decorated with frescoes by Giovanni da Modena (1410-1415), with scenes from the life of Saint Petronius, an Adoration of the Magi, Paradise and Hell. Among the damned is the Prophet Muhammad, which led to the basilica being the target of terrorist attacks, fortunately foiled, in 2002 and 2006. Above the high altar is the oldest organ in Italy.

Built in the 13th century by the Augustinians, the interior of this church was refurbished in the Renaissance style in the 15th century, with the addition of a portico on the left side. The building has many Renaissance paintings, especially in the Bentivoglio Chapel, which is decorated with frescoes by Lorenzo Costa. In the adjacent oratory of Santa Cecilia (access from Via Zamboni 15), frescoes by Amico Aspertini from the 16th century can also be admired.