Santo Stefano Complex, the Seven Churches

The Bolognese call it the Seven Churches, even though today there are four places of worship: the church of the Crucifix, the basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, the church of Saints Vitale and Agricola, and that of the Trinity, linked by courtyards and cloisters. According to tradition, it was Bishop Petronius in the 5th century who wanted a copy of the holy places of Jerusalem here.

The heart is the Holy Sepulchre, an octagonal church with at its centre the aedicule that reproduces Christ's tomb. Next to it, the church of Saints Vitale and Agricola holds the relics of Bologna's first martyrs and is the oldest in the complex.

Behind it lies the Courtyard of Pilate, with at its centre a large stone basin from the 8th century donated by the Lombard kings Liutprand and Ilprand. Further on, the Benedictine cloister, with two tiers of loggias built between the 10th and 13th centuries, is one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Emilia.

The complex overlooks Piazza Santo Stefano, triangular and surrounded by porticoed palaces: its porticoes are one of the twelve stretches that form the UNESCO World Heritage site. The complex also houses a small museum with paintings and reliquaries from the 13th to the 18th century.