Description of the attraction
Santa Maria dei Servi is a Catholic basilica in Bologna, founded in 1346 as a church of the Servites, ministers of the Order of the Virgin Mary. Andrea da Faenza worked on the project of the church, whose work can also be seen in the Cathedral of San Petronio. And the status of a basilica was given to it by Pope Pius XII.
Santa Maria dei Servi is not the largest church in Bologna - only 100 meters long and 20 meters wide. It has the shape of a Latin cross, but the transverse naves do not protrude beyond the side chapels. The shallow apse has a traditional shape for Italian Gothic architecture.
Andrea da Faenza died in 1396, leaving the church unfinished. The construction of the temple was completed only in the 15th century, while it went in accordance with the projects of the architect. The central nave and side chapels are separated from each other by solid round columns with capitals. The columns themselves are red and their bases in a contrasting shade add decorativeness to the simple decoration of the church. High under the Gothic vaults, window openings are visible on the plastered walls.
Inside there is a marble altar by Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli, known as "Michelangelo" Montorsoli, 14th century frescoes by Vitale da Bologna, and a depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the Throne by Cimabue. The church also houses an organ - one of the best in Europe.
The facade of Santa Maria dei Servi, built in several stages, has never been decorated. The brick building itself has a rather nondescript appearance. However, the real decoration of the church is its inner courtyard or atrium, typical of early Christian churches. It was built in the 16th century and "captured" the entire area adjacent to the temple. Apparently, the passage of the Florentine Orphanage by the great Brunneleschi was taken as a model. In the place where the passage of Santa Maria dei Servi touches the facade of the church, it forms the so-called vestibule - a wide portico of five arches.
