Santa Maria dei Servi Bologna

Santa Maria dei Servi is a Roman Catholic basilica located in Bologna, Italy, originally established in 1346 as the church for the Servite Community of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Designed by Andrea da Faenza, a friar and architect who also contributed to the Basilica of San Petronio, the structure was completed in the 15th century with minimal changes after his death in 1396. Pope Pius XII later elevated its status to that of a basilica in the 20th century. The basilica features Gothic architecture, characterized by pointed arches throughout its interior. Its layout forms a Latin cross without projecting transepts and includes a shallow apse with an octagonal design. The central nave and side aisles are divided by red columns with contrasting white capitals, creating a decorative effect against the otherwise simple Gothic design. The high vaulted ceilings are supported by brick ribs, and ocular windows pierce the plastered walls above the arcades. Externally, the church is plain, constructed of undecorated brick with a facade built in phases. A notable feature is its 16th-century atrium, rare among Italian churches, which surrounds the small piazza in front of the basilica. Modeled after Brunelleschi's designs, the arcade extends along the building and forms a portico across the church front. The basilica houses numerous artworks, including a Virgin Mary painting attributed to Cimabue, 14th-century frescoes by Vitale da Bologna and Lippo di Dalmasio, works by Innocenzo da Imola and Francesco Albani, and a marble altarpiece of the Annunciation by Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli. It ...