The Basilica of Santo Stefano
The 'Seven Churches'
In the triangular Piazza Santo Stefano, one of the most beautiful and quiet squares in Bologna, surrounded by porticoes and noble palaces, stands one of the most fascinating religious complexes in Italy: the Basilica of Santo Stefano, known to the Bolognese as the "Sette Chiese", the Seven Churches. According to tradition, it was founded in the fifth century by Saint Petronius, bishop and patron of Bologna, who wanted to reproduce here the places of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, so that the faithful could make a pilgrimage without leaving the city.
Over the centuries, several buildings were added together, and today four churches remain, connected to each other in a maze of spaces of different eras. From the square, you enter the Church of the Crucifix, of Lombard origin, with a raised presbytery above the crypt. From here you pass to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, the heart of the complex, with an octagonal plan, which houses an aedicule reproducing the tomb of Christ and once preserved the relics of Saint Petronius. Then there is the Romanesque church of Santi Vitale e Agricola, the oldest in the city, with its bare brick walls, and the Courtyard of Pilate, with the large Lombard basin of the eighth century, by tradition said to be the one in which Pilate washed his hands. Finally, the church of the Trinity, the Benedictine cloister with two orders of loggias, and a small museum.
Tip: the complex is still a place of worship, so visit in silence; the square in front, at sunset, is one of the most charming spots in the city.
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