Basilica Santuario di Santo Stefano

The Basilica Santuario di Santo Stefano is a complex consisting of multiple places of worship … locally known as Sette Chiese (Seven Churches).

We entered through the Church of Saint Stephen … aka the Church of the Holy Crucifix … different from other churches we have visited in that the presbytery is raised over the crypt. If there was access to the crypt, I didn’t see it … but then, services being conducted in the room behind the staircase, so I did not look too closely.

Following the “way of the visit” signs, we headed to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The building is attached to the Church of Saint Stephen. This part — octagonal in shape and built over a temple that was dedicated to Isis — dates back to the 5th century. At the time, it was built on the orders of Bishop Petronio (later, San Petronio … the patron saint of Bologna) to resemble the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

The next church we found ourselves in was dedicated to Saints Vitale and Agricola, the first two martyrs from Bologna (305 AD) … their sarcophagi on either side of the altar. It is said to be the oldest part of the complex. Fragments of frescoes on the columns and remnants of the mosaic floor from Roman times were some of the interesting elements we noted.

The Courtyard of Pilate would have been next, except that it is presently surrounded by a construction fence.

So, we moved on to the Church of the Trinity … aka the Church of the Martyrium. This church was left incomplete by Bishop Petronio. In the late 19th century, it was rebuilt in the neo-Romanesque style. Adding interest here were fragments of frescoes, including one of a rarely seen pregnant Madonna, and a memorial to the Bersaglieri, the elite infantry corps of the Italian army, recognized by the hat worn by its members … wide-brimmed and adorned with black feathers.

We concluded the first part of our visit at the Benedictine cloister … with a well in the center of the courtyard, and zoomorphic and anthropomorphic columns rimming the perimeter.

We returned to complete our exploration after lunch … by which time the museum was open to visitors. Consisting of just a couple of rooms, the museum exhibits an eclectic collection of artifacts ranging from artworks, to ceiling shingles, to frescoes, to reliquaries and religious vestments; to the “Urn of the 40 Martyrs” … which dates back to 1568; and more.

Our unplanned visit to the Basilica Santuario di Santo Stefano is one of the highlights of our time in Bologna thus far. I am looking forward to returning after we are settled in Bologna next year. Perhaps take a tour … and learn more about the ancient traditions involving the prostitutes of Bologna and the pregnant women in the city.Read more