Basilica di San Prospero

The Basilica di San Prospero occupies its own small piazza just west of Piazza del Duomo and has an imposing late-Renaissance facade finished in 1546. The six lions flanking the church entrance give the square an unexpectedly bold character — they are thick-maned and alert-looking, more heraldic than naturalistic. The campanile behind the facade is an early medieval tower that was incorporated into the later structure.

Inside, the church is richly decorated with sixteenth-century frescoes and paintings by local and regional artists. The most notable is a large canvas by Camillo Procaccini near the high altar. The sacristy preserves wooden choir stalls of considerable quality. The church remains active, so visiting hours are governed by services; mornings are the most reliably accessible time.

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A story
San Prospero is the patron saint of Reggio Emilia, a fourth-century bishop credited with defending the city against the Huns. The six stone lions guarding the church portico — placed there in the sixteenth century — are among the most photographed objects in Reggio Emilia, and locals regard them with the same affection other Italian cities reserve for fountains or bronze horses.

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