CHURCHES
CRISTO RISORTO CHURCH
Near the Meridiana neighborhood, stands the Parish Church dedicated to the Resurrected Christ. Inaugurated by Cardinal Antonio Poma on Easter Sunday 1980, the complex was designed by the architect Giuseppe Frascari. The Parish Hall is graced by a large, ceramic statue of Christ resurrected by Antonio Livergnani and Werther Bosi. The work was awarded merit recognition by the Faenza Ceramic Board in 1981. The room also contains a canvas from the workshop of the painter Il Guercino representing “Lament over Christ's Body”.
SANTI ANTONIO E ANDREA DI CERETOLO
The Church of Ceretolo, situated on the hill of the same name, today Ca’ Bruciata, was dedicated to Saint Andrew in 18th century and was under the jurisdiction of the Reno Valley Canon priests of Casalecchio. Later it was moved to an oratory together with another church known as the “Blessed Virgin of Loro.” The oratory was expanded and the old church's entire façade was transported for a distance of 22 feet in 1764 by means of an extraordinary enterprise of “ropes and machines.” The church was embellished and expanded in 1782; further additions and remodeling were carried out in 1929 and in 1933. The structure is characterized by a central nave flanked by four chapels and a small choir. Though the church once held a number of valuable works of art, many of these have been lost. The bell tower, built beside the church in 1795, was damaged first by a 1928 earthquake, and then again during the Second World War.
SAN GIOVANNI BATTISTA
Out of the four modern churches, built after WWII, the most centrally located and the most highly valued, from an architectural standpoint, is that of St. John the Baptist, located on Via Marconi, next to the public park along the banks of the Reno River. The project was designed by world-famous architect Melchiorre Bega, who dedicated particular attention to designing this, his only church. The polygonal, Greek cross layout covers a 1200 sq m area. It is composed of four naves, three for the faithful and one for litugical services. The altar, situated in the middle of the church, is composed of a solid block of sandstone weighing 4 metric tons. The tabernacle is also a work of artistic significance: a 600 kg bronze sculpture by Vignoli, professor of sculpture at the Fine Arts Academy of Bologna. The visible, internal cement structures have been overlaid with white marble, lending greater luminosity to the interior. The external walls are covered with golden-hued sandstone blocks coming from Montovolo. Another unique element is the baptistry: square, accessible both from indoors and out, with a sandstone baptismal font and a bronze statue of St. John the Baptist, the work of the sculptor Luciano Minguzzi. The upper part of the front wall is remarkable for the original effect created by the bronze-sculptured decorations gracing the window.
SANTA CROCE
The Church of the Holy Cross was built in 1965, from a design by the architect Enzo Zacchiroli. The exterior, non-ostentatious by choice, is recognizable by its characteristic “tower” over one of the entrances. The external austerity is echoed inside, as well, as evidenced by a single-naved structure, paved with simple flagstones and concrete walls lined with multicolored, ceramic friezes depicting the Stations of the Cross. The presbytery is a fulcrum of light that rains down to illuminate a papier-maché Christ, constructed by the Bolognese School of the 1600s.
SANTA LUCIA
This church was designed by Giuseppe Coccolini and took only two years (1965-1967) to construct. The exterior, plain and sober, is decorated by a short-pillared balcony. The single-naved, polygonal interior boasts a group of recent sculptures by master sculptor Musner of Ortisei. These depict Christ with the Madonna and St. John the Evangelist. Interesting friezes can be found above the Tabernacle and the Baptismal Font. The church was consacrated in 1978.
SAN MARTINO DI CASALECCHIO DI RENO
The Church of St. Martin's was founded by Martinian monks in the 7th century at the foot of the hill known as Monte Castello. The complex, comprised of a church and a monastery was detroyed by the Magyars during their raids into Bolognese territory in 904 and again in 937, but it was immediately rebuilt. After the year 1000 the monastery fell into disuse and neglect. Only the church remained active, falling under the jurisdiction of the Canons of St. Mary of Reno. The building, which has undergone numerous rennovations over the centuries, owes its current appearance to the project by Edoardo Collamarini, the famous Bolognese architect (1863-1928), who began the work in 1926. The airy façade recalls lines of 17th century churches, while the octagonal dome lends a lofty air to the structure. While the single-naved interior is stark and austere, it is adorned with several noteworthy works of art, such as the large altarpiece by Bolognese artist Emilio Taruffi. On the left side of the aspe hangs a painting of the Blessed Virgin with St. Lucy and St. Agatha by Dioniso Calvart. The entrance is graced by frescoes by Lambertini. A Madonna of the Rosary with the fifteen Mysteries painted by Elisabetta Sirani is found on the back wall, together with a late 19th century wooden crucifix. There are also two works by the Bolognese painter, Fabio Frabbi, who adopted Casalecchio as his home, depicting St. Rita and St. John Bosco.
SANTI GIOVANNI BATTISTA E BENEDETTO/EREMO DI TIZZANO
The Tizzano hermitage can be considered one of the most enchanting places in Casalecchio di Reno. The churchyard provides a spectacular view, sweeping over the flatlands all the way from Bologna to the edge of Modena, and on the clearest of days, even the profile of the Alpine foothils can be distinctly observed. To the right, we see the Reno River valley, from the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of St Luke to Monte Mario and the town of Badolo. The construction of the monastery complex of the hermitage was begun in 1655 by the Camaldolese Hermitage Monks. The work was not completed until 1741 when the church was consacrated to St. Benedict. The façade is characterized by simple lines, with the bare elegance of an austere Baroque style, while the single-naved interior features lateral chapels linked by narrow passagweways. The main altar in the apse chapel bears an altarpiece by the Bolognese painter Giovanni Francesco Gessi depicting St. Benedict during his period of hermitage. The second chapel houses a hallowed crucifix of eastern origin with a reliquary at its base holding fragments of the True Cross and other relics from the Passion of Christ. Outside of the church a lovely well is covered by a wrought iron frame topped with a cross and built over a cistern from 1681, which provided water for the complex. A wide lawn in the back held 12 monk's cells, although all that remains today are the outer walls of two of them.