Santo Stefano Church

Santo Stefano is a complex of churches and monastic buildings in Bologna that encompasses several connected sacred spaces and courtyards. The individual structures display Romanesque stone walls, brick arches, and columns partly salvaged from older Roman constructions.

The first Christian chapels arose in the 5th century on the remains of a Roman Isis temple, when Bishop Petronius of Bologna promoted the foundation. The Benedictines took over the complex in the 11th century and expanded it following the model of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

This complex embodies the medieval desire to recreate the holy sites of Jerusalem, allowing pilgrims to experience the locations of Christ's passion without traveling to Palestine. The central courtyard with the Pilate basin still represents that symbolic journey for believers and visitors to trace today.

Access is free, and visitors can explore most rooms and courtyards at their own pace. Guided explanations take place regularly and offer deeper insights into the architecture and the connection between the individual buildings.

A large stone basin in the courtyard bears the name of Pilate and once served to evoke the ritual washing before Christ's condemnation. The spring feeding the basin was regarded in medieval times as a representation of the Jordan River and still attracts visitors who wish to draw water.