San Domenico is the burial church of Dominic of Caleruega, founder of the Dominican order. He died here in 1221 while travelling to negotiate the order's affairs in Bologna. The basilica that grew around his tomb became one of the most important Dominican churches in Italy.
The tomb itself — the Arca di San Domenico — sits in a side chapel and is a Renaissance assemblage of sculpture by Nicola Pisano, Niccolò dell'Arca, and the young Michelangelo. The choir stalls, inlaid by Fra Damiano da Bergamo in the 1530s, are some of the finest examples of perspective marquetry in Europe. The piazza outside, with the elevated tombs of medieval law professors, is a peaceful spot for a coffee.