This ex church can be traced back to the 11th century. The San Gallo monks first settle here and lived in the monastery attached to it. Over the centuries it passed to many Orders before finally being disrobed of its religious services. It was also used as a theatre and art studio. Frescoes from the 1500s by P Pancotto are still clearly visible.

San Colombano Photos

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About San Colombano

Legend has it that the foundations of this church began in 616 AD. What is more certain however, is that historical documents dating from 11th century written for the attention of Pope Gregory VII, show the existence of a church and monastery dedicated to San Colombano in the area of civitas antique rupta  – which would place the building around this actual area since this is one of the oldest parts of Bologna.

San Colombano was the first headquarters for the San Gallo monks, then it passed to the Benedictine Order and finally an order calling themselves Santi Clemente e Colombano. It remained in their care until the 1300s when their Order was suppressed on behalf of Cardinal Bertrando del Poggetto in 1332.

These magnificent frescoes over the façade and portico were the work of P. Pancotto from the 1500s. Some time has been invested to restore them although their external position makes them vulnerable in any case.

In 1597 the church was broken up as a parish and divided up between the nearby churches of Santa Maria Maggiore, Santi Gregorio e Siro and Santi Fabiano e Sebastiano. It was then rented out to a community of ministers associated with the sick and infirm. They were also strangely known as the ‘padri del ben morire’ which literally translates as ‘fathers’ of the well dying’. Their job was not so much as medical rather than assisting the sick and dying giving them the dignity and sympathy that society denied them. There are still physical signs of their past on the building here.

Over the following centuries it passed to several more religious orders that in turn were each suppressed. After the building was restored in 1810 it remained under the care of the congregation of the Vergine della Mercede who consequently used it as a theatre. In the late 1900s it was a workshop for a local artist.

All that remains structural wise of the ancient church is the 16th century portico at the front of the building. Presently work is being carried out to renovate it again and it will be some time before it’s completed.

Finally, upstairs in the oratory of San Colombano is one of the most important cycle of frescoes dating to the art school of Carracci from 1600-1602. Distinguished artists who contributed here include: Albani, Domenichino, Brizio, Galanino, Garbieri, Massari and Reni.