Called S.Maria Regina dei Cieli or Chiesa dei Poveri, it was first established early 1300s by a lay company called S.Maria delle Laudi. Lay Company of the Poor moved here and began restoring the building in 1603. In 1912 the church was rented to the Padri dehoniani Order. Valuable works of art by Mazza, Passarotti, Spada, Massari and Gessi.

Santa Maria Regina dei Cieli Photos

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About Santa Maria Regina dei Cieli

This Church at the beginning of Via Nosadella is known as Santa Maria Regina dei Ceili. However it also goes under the name Chiesa dei Poveri because in the early 1300s a hospice was established in Piazza Malpighi for the poor and travellers by the lay company called S.Maria delle Laudi. The church was therefore dedicated to S.Maria delle Laudi.

In 1512 the hospital was moved to the Seliciata di San Francisco nearby while a little later in 1576 the ‘Lay Company of the Poor’ moved into the former residence here. In 1603 this company restored the buildings, rebuilt the church and dedicated it to S.Maria Regina dei Ceili.

At this first chapel on the left is this painting by A. Guardassoni dating to 1860. It shows St Anthony with the Baby Jesus.

The second one displays various sculptures of the Sacred Heart and Angels. These are quite recent dating to 1950 by the artist M. Sarto.

The third chapel of the Crucifix shows a 17th century sculpture of the Crucifix, and a painting of the Virgin and St John the Evangelist by L. Ferrari 1600s and M. Collina 1700s.

Flanking both sides of the altar are these two large statues called Noè and Mosè by Giuseppe Mazza. The two statues of virtue also by Mazza are guarding the small painting at the centre illustrating the Virgin with her Son. This is considered a precious piece of art having been completed by Tiburzio Passarotti around the late 1500s, possibly early 1600s.

The frescoed dome was completed by Gian Gioseffo Dal Sole while other decorative work around the main chapel here was done by T. Aldrovandini in 1692.

At the opposite end of the church is this Traeri organ dating to 1668.

In 1912 the church was rented to the Padri dehoniani Order – the new missionary order founded not so long ago by Leone Dehon. They had just had moved to Bologna and this church soon became commonly known as chiesa dei poveri, meaning, church of the poor.

This first chapel along the right hand side illustrates a canvas of Christ, the Virgin and saints Dominic and Francisco. It was completed by Lionello Spada in 1605.

This middle chapel displays a work by Lucio Massari and dates to 1605. It shows the Madonna with Baby Jesus between saints John and John the Evangelist.

In those early days of the Lay Company of the Poor there were 2,500 members both male and female. Furthermore the organisation had the unique reputation for offering a modern form of mutual support. It was subsequently suppressed in 1798 although the church continued to be used for worship. In fact, it was even given a new façade in 1844.

Finally, this last chapel displays a painting by Francisco Gessi  dating to 1612 and showing St. Carlo Borromeo. On an adjacent wall is this beautiful fragment of a painting. There are no details about the artist or its origins.

References

Marcello Fini, Bologna sacra. Tutte le chiesa in due millenni di storia, Bologna 2007, pp156-157.

Giuseppe Sassatelli, Cristiana Morigi Govi, Jacopo Ortalli, Francesca Bocchi, Atlante Storico Delle Città Italiane Emilia Romagna Bologna, Bologna I, Bologna 1996, p192.

Tiziano Costa – Marco Poli, Conoscere Bologna, Bologna 2005, p311.