Basilica di San Domenico (Basilica of St. Dominic), Bologna (must see)

Via Castiglione once served as the main route to the Bolognese hills, with access controlled by Porta Castiglione, one of the city's ten surviving gates. To the west, the monumental Basilica of Saint Dominic (with a fee for entry to the presbytery only) presides over the cobblestone Piazza San Domenico. The square has two notable mausoleums, each featuring a tomb raised on pillars and sheltered by a canopy, dedicated to renowned medieval law scholars Rolandino de' Passaggeri and Egidio Foscherari.

The basilica was originally built to house the relics of Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican order who passed away here in 1221 and was canonized in 1234. Despite having undergone alterations over the years, the structure still abounds in curious, canopied tombs and artworks by renowned artists such as Michelangelo, Pisano, and Filippino Lippi, alongside works by prominent Bolognese artists.

The Chapel of Saint Dominic holding the saint's tomb is halfway down the basilica on the right. The magnificent Tomb of Saint Dominic ("Arca di San Domenico") is a collaborative effort by several leading artists, including Niccolò da Bari (later known as Niccolò dell'Arca for his outstanding work here), Nicola Pisano, and Arnolfo di Cambio. Completed by Michelangelo, who was a mere 19-year-old at the time, the Arca features two Bolognese saints – Proculus and Petronius – holding a model of Bologna.

Decorating the dome above the Arca is Guido Reni's "Saint Dominic in Glory with Christ, the Madonna, and Saints", while hidden behind the shrine lies the precious reliquary of Saint Dominic's head. Other notable artworks include Giunta Pisano's "Crucifix" (1250) and the tomb of Taddeo Pepoli, both located in the left transept; Filippino Lippi's "Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine" in the small chapel beyond the right transept; and the exquisite mid-sixteenth-century marquetry choir stalls.