Santa Cristina or Santa Cristina della Fondazza is a deconsecrated Roman Catholic church and adjacent former convent, located on Piazzetta Morandi in central Bologna, region of Emilia Romagna, Italy. Since 2007, the barrel-vaulted church has served as a performance hall for concerts, mainly of choir and classical formats, while the convent houses the Department of Visual Arts of the University of Bologna.

History

A church at the site was putatively established at the site in 1247 by

Camaldolese The Camaldolese Hermits of Mount Corona ( la, Congregatio Eremitarum Camaldulensium Montis Coronae), commonly called Camaldolese is a monastic order of Pontifical Right for men founded by Saint Romuald. Their name is derived from the Holy Hermita ...

nuns. The present church was erected in 1602 by

Giulio della Torre Giulio () is an Italian given name. Notable people with the name include: * Giulio Alberoni (1664–1752), Italian cardinal and statesman * Giulio Alenio (1582–1649), Italian Jesuit missionary and scholar * Giulio Alfieri (1924–2002), Italian a ...

, a pupil of

Domenico Tibaldi Domenico Tibaldi (1541-1583) was an Italian painter and architect, active mainly in Bologna, in a Renaissance style. Domenico initially trained with his father, the famed Mannerist painter and architect Pellegrino Tibaldi. He helped construct a ch ...

. By the Napoleonic era, the church was used for a time as barracks. The church has two sculptures of ''St Peter'' and ''St Paul'' by

Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religious ...

, known almost exclusively for his paintings. The main altarpiece is an '' Ascension of Christ'' by Ludovico Carracci. Other sculptures in the church were completed by

Giuseppe Maria Mazza Giuseppe Maria Mazza (13 May 1653 – 6 June 1741) was one of the leading sculptors of Bologna, Italy, in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was trained as a painter, but is best known for his fine sculptural work in terracotta and stucco. ...

and G. Fiorini and paintings by

Giacomo Francia Giacomo Raibolini (1484 – 3 January 1557), also called Giacomo Francia or Jacopo Francia, was an Italian painter and engraver of the Renaissance period. Francia was born in Bologna as elder son of Francesco Raibolini (Francesco Francia), an ...

(''Nativity'', c. 1552);

Francesco Salviati Francesco Salviati may refer to: * Francesco Salviati (bishop) Francesco Salviati Riario was the archbishop of Pisa_in_1474_and_one_of_the_organisers_of_the_717,_Pisan_and_on_31_July_1725_ 726,_Pisan A_special_assembly_(''conventus'')_was_held_i ...

(''Madonna and Child with Saints'', c. 1540); Lucio Massari (''Visitation'' , 1607); Bernardino Baldi (''Coronation of the Virgin'', before 1615); and Bartolomeo Passerotti (''Martyrdom of St Catherine'') and his son Tiburzio Passarotti, Tiburzio (''Annunciation'' and ''Christ carrying cross and St Veronica'');

Domenico Maria Canuti Domenico Maria Canuti (5 April 1625– 6 April 1684) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Bologna and Rome. He was a major painter of fresco decorations. His ceiling decorations showed a mix of Bolognese and Roman infl ...

(''St Cristina'');

Giovanni Battista Bertusio Giovanni Battista Bertusio (also spelled Bertucci or Bertuzzi; 1577–1644) was a painter of the early- Baroque period, active in Bologna. He trained initially under Denys Calvaert, then under Ludovico and Agostino Carracci. He married the paint ...

(''Resurrection of Christ'', early 17th-century); and Mastelletta The adjacent Camaldolese monastery is now the Department of Visual Arts of the University of Bologna. It houses a fresco of the Crucifixion by the school of Lorenzo Costa.Department of Visual Arts of the University of Bologna
The hall of Santa Cristina is large, short chamber concerts, often using period instruments, are performed at San Colombano.

References

Cristina Baroque church buildings in Bologna 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy 1247 establishments in Europe 13th-century establishments in Italy {{Italy-RC-church-stub