Basilica of San Giacomo Maggiore

The Basilica of San Giacomo Maggiore is distinguished by a long Renaissance portico of thirty-six Corinthian columns that runs along its flank. Built by the Augustinian friars starting in twelve sixty-seven, the church evolved over centuries into a collection of styles, keeping a Romanesque facade while housing a grand interior. It gained prestige during the fifteenth century as the preferred church of Bologna’s ruling family, the Bentivoglios.