Basilica Santo Stefano
One of the most fascinating places in Bologna, the Basilica di Santo Stefano or Sette Chiese (Seven Churches) dominates the elegant piazza of the same name, just a few steps from the Due Torri. Dedicated to the first Christian martyr, the complex was built on the area where a temple dedicated to Isis stood in Roman times.
The construction of the Sette Chiese
As one can easily imagine, the Seven Churches complex has gone through various construction phases. The first church in chronological order to be built is the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was built in the 5th century on the remains of the Roman temple of Isis, of which it even preserved some cipollino marble columns.
This was followed by the
Church of Saints Vitale and Agricola, built at the behest of Petronius, bishop and patron of the city, to house the remains of the two protomartyrs from the Roman era. Vitale was in fact a Roman citizen converted to the Christian religion, who together with his slave Agricola was killed during Diocletian's persecutions.
The
Church of the Crucifix, which today serves as the entrance to the basilica, dates back to the Longobard era.
The interior of the Basilica Santo Stefano and the tie with Jerusalem
The St Stephen's complex is strongly linked to the
Holy City, so much so that it deserves the title of Little Jerusalem. Where does this come from?
To trace the origin of the symbols scattered inside the basilica which lead back to the sites of Christ's passion, one must go back to the
time of the Crusades. At that time, many of the faithful aspired to visit Jerusalem and its holy places in order to obtain a plenary indulgence. However, for obvious economic reasons and because of the dangers involved in the journey, not everyone could travel to the Holy City in person.
The Church then found a solution:
recreate the most symbolic places of Jerusalem in Italy, close to its faithful, and grant those who visited them the coveted indulgence. The Basilica of Santo Stefano in Bologna was one of these, and that is why it is full of symbols referring to the Holy City. Some examples are the crypt of the first church, recalling the hall of the Last Supper, and the raised presbytery, a clear reference to Pilate's hall.
But the most obvious symbol can be found in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which as the name suggests houses a faithful reproduction of the tomb of Jesus Christ, and in which Petronius himself was buried. Finally, a column also stands in this church that brings to mind the flogging of Christ.
The history of the Church of Saints Vitale and Agricola
The church dedicated to the two protomartyrs deserves a closer look because of its incredible history. It all began in 1141, when a
wooden box with relics was found during some restoration work on the building. On the box was the name Simon, but the fact was given little importance at the time.
However, when the construction of the Basilica of San Petronio began at the end of the 14th century, and the flow of pilgrims gradually began to move towards Piazza Maggiore, the monks of Santo Stefano had an idea. In order to keep the fame of the Seven Churches alive, they dusted off the ancient relics and arbitrarily attributed them to
Simon Peter, the father of the church.
The news reached the Pope, who angrily ordered the monks to retract this rumour and restore the truth of the facts. Faced with their refusal, the Pope retaliated by literally
filling the Church of Saints Vitale and Agricola with earth, which remained so until the end of the 15th century.
The two courtyards
The tour of the Seven Churches complex ends in the
splendid outer courtyards. In the centre of the first courtyard is a basin built in the Lombard era recalling the basin in which Pilate washed his hands, while the church on the opposite side of the courtyard symbolises the place of Christ's crucifixion.
The second courtyard is a cloister formed by two superimposed orders of columns. The lower and upper cloisters are connected to the monastery, which still houses Olivetan Benedictine monks. Finally, the zoomorphic and anthropomorphic capitals decorating some of the columns of the Upper Cloister are said to have inspired Dante Alighieri himself for his Divine Comedy.
