Bologna Chiesa Santa Caterina di Strada Maggiore
Chiesa Santa Caterina di Strada Maggiore Photos
About Chiesa Santa Caterina di Strada Maggiore
These life sized statues were placed here in the 19th century and constructed by Franceschini, Putti and Roncagli. The bell tower was the work of Antolini in 1842.
The buildings next to and behind this church actually form part of the ancient monastery, although in later centuries it was put to other uses. During part of the last century this was home to a charity for the poor. It may also have treated them for sickness too as it was often the case to have a hospital beside the church.
This first chapel on the right reveals a painting by a somebody from the Franceschini school around the middle of the 18th century. It shows San Filippo Neri having a vision.
Above the next altar is this painting of St Francis of Assisi and probably done by Simone Contarini who was from the Guido Reni school of art in the 17th century.
The third one along here reveals the Madonna and Child within an oval frame done by Ubaldo Gandolfi in 1750.
This large canvas of St Joseph was painted by Jacopo Alessandro Calvi around 1790. Down by the side of the altar rests the body of Luigi Tenente whom it’s said of was a courageous General in the 18th century and a respectable citizen.
At the main altar now are paintings on either side of the presbytery walls which were done by Guardassoni and Baldi.
Towards the middle of the 12th century there is evidence to suggest that there was a church here with a monastery annexed on to it. Apparently it was run by a group of Benedictine monks whom arrived from an Abbey called Santa Maria di Monte Armato. Thus the church took its name from this, however, the near by street of Via Torleone is also attributed to the church and through the passage of time both were often used to refer to the same church.
The Benedictine monks remained until 1458 and abandoned it sometime in the subsequent decades. Then in 1526 it passed to another group of monks from the same order. It wasn’t until the 15th century though that the name muted into Santa Caterina d’Alessandria di Strada Maggiore.
Moving along the left side chapels is this painting of an angel with St Sofia, St Simon and possibly St Tioboli. What’s also uncertain is whether this was painted by someone from the Rafaello school or under the master Gessi.
This canvas illustrates the Sacred Heart with San Francesco di Sales and Santa Margherita. It was brought here from Modena in the 18th century.
At the beginning of the 16th century major reconstruction began to transform it into the shape it is at present. The porticoes at the front were also added in 1612 and were the work of Fiorini.
The original church of Santa Maria di Torleone is still incorporated into the whole building and in fact is today used as the church sacristy.
This next one of Christ with St John the Baptist is one of the most valuable and probably oldest in the church. It may be the work of Simone dei Crocifissi completed from mid to the late 1300s. It was also only transferred here in 1962 from the Palazzo Magione which many centuries ago belonged to the Knights Templars and then to the Order of Malta in the 1300s.
Finally this last painting is of St Anthony of Padova by Lorenzo Loli who was not only an accomplished painter but wood carver taught under Reni and Serani in the mid 1600s.