Santi Vitale e Agricola in Arena

Small medieval church with frescoed apse, often used for chamber music

A short walk east of the Two Towers, this small Romanesque-Gothic church sits at the foot of Via San Vitale and is named for two of Bologna's earliest martyrs. The structure is essentially medieval — the apse holds a fifteenth-century fresco cycle by Francesco Francia and the choir is roofed with painted beams that have survived since the thirteenth century.

The church is used for occasional concerts, particularly chamber music and choral programmes, that exploit its dry acoustic and intimate scale. Often open in the late afternoon for tourists; check current schedules through the parish website.

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