Basilica di San Giacomo Maggiore

The church of San Giacomo Maggiore was built between 1267 and 1315 by the hermits of Saint Augustine. The church was definitively consecrated in 1344, after the construction of the apse. Between 1483 and 1498, the interior was remodelled: the roof was replaced by a dome supported by three vaults and new chapels. With the suppression of religious orders under Napoleon, the Augustinians were expelled. They returned in 1824 and left the convent of San Giacomo Maggiore in 1860, but continued to occupy the church.

Most of the present building of the Bologna Cathedral dates back to the 17th century, with some other parts dating back to the end of the 16th century. A cathedral already existed on the site in 1028, on the present Via Indipendenza. It was accompanied by a pre-Romanesque campanile with a circular base. This church was destroyed by fire in 1141. It was rebuilt in 1184 and dedicated to Pope Lucius III. Work on the present building began in 1605. At the request of Pope Benedict XIV, a new façade was added between 1743 and 1747 according to the plans of the architect Alfonso Torreggiani.

The Basilica of Santi Bartolomeo e Gaetano is a Renaissance church built between 1516 and 1694 on top of an ancient church from the 5th century. In 1516, the architect Andrea Marchesi was commissioned to build the present building. The project, which is detailed in the outer portico of the complex, was interrupted at his death. In 1599, the church came under the direction of the Theatines, who completed the construction in the 17th century under the direction of Giovanni Battista Natali and Agostino Barelli.