San Procolo, Early Gothic church in central Bologna, Italy

San Procolo is an early Gothic brick church on Via Massimo D'Azeglio in central Bologna, built by Benedictine monks from Monte Cassino by 1087. Its nave carries cross vaults added between 1383 and 1407 under abbot Giovanni di Michele, later masked by Antonio Morandi (Terribilia) between 1535 and 1557 to look round-arched. The right nave holds a 1580 organ by Baldassarre Malamini, and the main altar is formed by the ark of Saint Proculus, an ancient sarcophagus once set in the crypt.

The church was established in the late 11th century by Benedictine monks and became an important religious center. It remained under monastic control until early 19th-century reforms that dissolved many religious communities in the region.

The name honours Proculus, a Roman soldier martyred near Bologna and one of the city's three patron saints; his relics, with those of Proculus of Pozzuoli, have been kept in the first chapel on the left since the 13th century. Outside hangs a small plaque with a Latin tongue-twister, variously explained as a joke about a student named Procolo who studied himself to death, or about the martyr's head rolling downhill to that spot.

The church sits on Via Massimo D'Azeglio and welcomes visitors during its regular opening times. Checking hours in advance is helpful, as some religious buildings have limited access depending on services or special events.

An adjacent monastery once operated as a shelter for abandoned children starting in the 13th century. This facility became an important social institution that cared for the most vulnerable members of the community for centuries.