Complesso monumentale di San Michele in Bosco (religious complex), Bologna

Perched above Bologna to the south is San Michele in Bosco, a religious compound with an attached monastery that has functioned as an orthopedic hospital since 1880. With roots dating back to the Middle Ages (around the 4th century), the complex welcomed Olivetan monks in 1364 at the behest of Pope Urban V. After the church was destroyed in 1430, it was rebuilt in stages, finally completed in 1523. Inside the church, within the presbytery, a door on the right leads to a lengthy corridor of the ancient convent known as the "Telescope" (il Cannocchiale), where an optical illusion creates the impression of touching the Asinelli Tower.

Throughout its history, the complex has served various purposes: from barracks and a prison during Napoleonic times to a villa for the Papal legate, and later, a residence for the King of Italy. Positioned in one of the most picturesque locations amidst the hills surrounding Bologna, its courtyard offers a stunning terrace overlooking the city and the plains stretching to the Alpine chain. The breathtaking vistas were admired by Stendhal during his visit to Bologna in 1817.