Bologna, new fittings for the Santa Maria della Vita complex

In Bologna, Santa Maria della Vita, one of the most iconic complexes in the heart of the historic center, presents the new museum itinerary that transforms the appearance of the institution: thanks to the collaboration between Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna and Opera Laboratori, as part of the Genus Bononiae cultural project, the exhibition itinerary is enriched with new spaces and works of art, offering visitors a new experience.

The new museum layout of Santa Maria della Vita integrates the Sanctuary and the Oratory into a single itinerary that narrates the history and art of the complex. Thus, not only the most famous masterpiece, namely Niccolò dell’Arca’s Lamentation over the Dead Christ, the “stone scream” that strikes anyone who sees it for its extraordinary emotional intensity, a 15th-century terracotta sculpture that represents one of the highest moments of Italian sculpture and is considered one of the site’s main attractions: visitors, at Santa Maria della Vita, immerse themselves in three centuries of Bolognese art.

Hidden treasures finally on display

An important new development is the remounting of the Oratory’s exhibition spaces. The Transit of the Virgin, a majestic work by Alfonso Lombardi dating from the first half of the 16th century, is located here. The sculptural group, characterized by extraordinary accuracy in its details, has been enhanced by a new graphic layout that allows visitors to appreciate its faces and gazes up close, in an intense dialogue with the visitor. Not only that: the oratory’s spaces now house a permanent collection from the Fondazione Carisbo’s Art and History Collections. Some masterpieces of the Bolognese tradition, until now kept in the vaults, are finally accessible to the public.

Among the most significant works are Guercino’s Sibilla Samia, Elisabetta Sirani’s dramatic Portia injuring her leg, and Donato Creti’sSelf-Portrait. There are also masterpieces by Guido Reni, such as Lucrezia Romana, now back in Bologna after a loan to the Pinacoteca Nazionale for an exhibition on the artist. Completing the collection are works by Denys Calvaert, Giuseppe Maria Crespi, the Gandolfi brothers (Ubaldo and Gaetano), Pietro Fancelli and Pelagio Palagi.

Prominent among the exhibits is the Jewel of the Sun King, a work of exceptional historical and artistic value, which can be viewed by the public all year round and no longer only on September 10, as was the case in the past: it is a very precious jewel, the work of French goldsmith Jean Petitot, formed of an oval convex metal plate bearing a miniature depiction of King Louis XIV painted on enamel: it was given by the Sun King to the great Bolognese historian Carlo Cesare Malvasia as a token of gratitude for having dedicated his 1678 Felsina Pittrice to him.

An immersive, multimedia experience

Another innovation is the new multimedia room, designed to offer a journey through the history of Santa Maria della Vita. Through projections, images and immersive narratives, visitors can discover the evolution of the complex through the centuries.

The narrative experience brings to life the thoughts of Niccolò dell’Arca, with the imaginary voice of the artist revealing the secrets of his masterpiece, the Lamentation over the Dead Christ. This technology not only enriches the visit, but creates a bridge between the past and the present, allowing visitors to fully immerse themselves in the history and spirituality of the place.

A jewel for the Jubilee of 2025

The opening of the new exhibition marks a significant turning point for Santa Maria della Vita, which is preparing to welcome pilgrims and visitors from all over the world on the occasion of the Jubilee. The complex thus aims to become a point of reference for the rediscovery of Bologna’s artistic and spiritual heritage, offering an itinerary that combines faith, art and history. The project was made possible thanks to the support of the Azienda USL di Bologna, owner of the monumental complex, and the collaboration of the Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio for the metropolitan city of Bologna and the provinces of Modena, Reggio Emilia and Ferrara.

“Together with Opera Laboratori, Fondazione Carisbo is creating a new model of management and enhancement of the Genus Bononiae museum itinerary,” explains Fondazione Carisbo President Patrizia Pasini, “to offer a privileged key to the cultural and territorial heritage and a tool capable of connecting tradition and contemporaneity. If Weiwei’s exhibition highlighted Palazzo Fava by hosting the first solo exhibition in Bologna of an internationally renowned contemporary artist, who has always been committed to the defense of human rights, the new setup of the Oratory of Santa Maria della Vita represents a further step in the development of the announced project. The permanent exhibition is designed to combine several masterpieces of the Bolognese artistic tradition, between the late 16th and early 19th centuries, from the Foundation’s Art and History Collections, with the remaining works of art housed in the monumental complex of Santa Maria della Vita, including the Compianto by Niccolò dell’Arca, a priceless Renaissance sculptural group.”

A shared commitment that, as Beppe Costa, president and CEO of Opera Laboratori, points out, also translates into the use of innovative technologies to make the complex also a place of experience and knowledge: “We continue with the Fondazione Carisbo this multi-year agreement with great satisfaction, inaugurating a new stage of this journey, which sees the return of the enjoyment of masterpieces kept in the Foundation’s vaults to the public. Artists, scenes and portrayed subjects that, thanks to Opera’s digital art set-up and laboratory, will take new form in the spaces of Santa Maria della Vita. Home of the stone scream to which we will give new voice through a careful and innovative multimedia project.”

Bologna, new fittings for the Santa Maria della Vita complex

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