The churches of Bologna worth seeing

You don't come to Bologna for the churches the way you come to Rome or Florence. That's exactly why they're a pleasure. There are no ticket lines, no crowds shuffling past the masterpieces, and the few sights people queue for are worth every minute. Most of these are free, all sit inside the porticoed centro storico, and you can see the best of them in an afternoon.

Here are the ones I'd send a first-time visitor to, in roughly the order you'd hit them walking out from the main square. Each is a short walk from the next.

1. Basilica di San Petronio

The giant on Piazza Maggiore, and the obvious place to start. It's one of the largest brick churches in the world, and the lower half of the facade is dressed in marble while the top is still raw brick, the money ran out in the 1600s and it was simply never finished. Inside, 22 side chapels run down a vast, cool nave, and the floor carries a 67-metre sundial line laid by the astronomer Cassini. Entry to the church is free; some chapels and the terrace charge a small fee. Full story on the unfinished giant of San Petronio.

2. Santa Maria della Vita

A two-minute walk into the market lanes hides the single most moving thing in the city. Step into Santa Maria della Vita and you'll find the Compianto sul Cristo morto, the Lamentation over the Dead Christ, a group of seven life-size terracotta figures by Niccolò dell'Arca from around 1463. The mourners are caught mid-cry, robes flung back by the force of their grief. People stop talking when they walk in. There's usually a modest entry fee for this chapel, and it keeps shorter hours than a normal church, so check before you go.

3. Santo Stefano, the Seven Churches

The most atmospheric corner in town, and my favourite. Santo Stefano isn't one church but a knot of interlocking chapels, courtyards and cloisters built and rebuilt since the 5th century, known to everyone as the Sette Chiese. You wander from a dim octagonal shrine into a sunlit medieval courtyard and back into shadow. It's free, it's quiet, and it rewards slow walking. Read the full Seven Churches guide.

4. Basilica di San Domenico

South of the centre, San Domenico holds the bones of Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominican order, inside an ornate marble tomb called the Arca di San Domenico. The tomb is a who's-who of medieval sculpture, Nicola Pisano's workshop, Niccolò dell'Arca, and three small figures carved by a young Michelangelo in the 1490s. Seeing a Michelangelo with no crowd and no ticket still feels like getting away with something. Free entry, though hours pause for services.

5. San Giacomo Maggiore

Up in the university quarter on Via Zamboni, this big 13th-century basilica is the old church of the Bentivoglio, the family that effectively ran Bologna in the 1400s. The star is the Bentivoglio Chapel, one of the best things the early Bolognese Renaissance produced. The chapel keeps limited hours, often Saturday mornings only, but you can see plenty through the railings the rest of the week. Free to enter.

6. Basilica di San Francesco

On the western edge of the old town, San Francesco is the city's great French-Gothic church, all soaring brick and flying buttresses, unusual for Italy. Inside are sculpted tombs, a soaring marble high altar, and quiet 14th-century cloisters next door where law professors were once buried. It's off most visitors' radar, which is half the appeal. Free entry.

Visiting Bologna's churches: what to know

• Most are free. San Petronio, Santo Stefano, San Domenico, San Giacomo and San Francesco cost nothing to enter. Only Santa Maria della Vita's Compianto and a few side chapels charge a small fee.
• Dress modestly. Cover your shoulders and knees. Some churches turn people away at the door in high summer.
• Mind the hours. Many close over lunch and shut for Mass. Late morning or mid-afternoon is safest. Check official hours before a special trip across town.
• Go slow. The point of Bologna's churches is that you can actually stand still in front of the art.

Where these fit in your trip

The churches slot neatly between Bologna's other icons. From San Petronio it's a two-minute walk to the leaning Asinelli Tower, while the old university and its anatomical theatre sit just behind. For the grandest religious walk of all, follow the world's longest covered walkway up to the San Luca hill. Round it out with a meal in the city's restaurants, a base near the centre from our where to stay guide, and the rest of the sights on the things to do in Bologna hub.

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