Santuario di Santa Maria della Vita (Sanctuary of Holy Mary of Life), Bologna (must see)

Just a stone's throw east of the bustling Main Square ("Piazza Maggiore"), the Church of Holy Mary of Life offers a serene retreat. Despite its boldly frescoed 17th-century High Baroque interior, the true highlight is Niccolò dell'Arca's "Lamentation over the Dead Christ" (1463), a remarkable terracotta composition depicting life-size mourners grieving the death of Christ.

It's said that dell'Arca drew inspiration from the faces of the sick and suffering in the religious hospital complex where the church once belonged, capturing their raw expressions of grief with remarkable skill (apparently, the figure of Nicodemus is a self-portrait of the artist himself). Meanwhile, in the oratory, which hosts temporary exhibitions, visitors can find another poignant terracotta masterpiece: Alfonso Lombardi's "Death of the Virgin", which again presents an unusual perspective on a familiar story.