The Bolognese plain is a land of faith, art and tradition with a rich heritage of churches and shrines that represent not only places of worship but also precious treasure chests of history, art and spirituality. On the occasion of Jubilee 2025, four sacred places are offered as stops on a Jubilee itinerary that combines spirituality and beauty.
Each with a unique history and deep spiritual value, the route passes through shrines and parish churches where collected silences, millennia-old architecture and stories of saints and popular devotion are interwoven. It starts in Sala Bolognese with the early medieval parish church of Santa Maria Annunziata and then continues to Le Budrie, with the Sanctuary of Santa Clelia Barbieri*, to the heart of Pieve di Cento with the Sanctuary of the Santissimo Crocifisso* to the Castenaso countryside for the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Pilar.
A slow and meditative journey, suitable for all, that invites meditation but also the discovery of the spiritual and artistic heritage of the Emilian plain.
*jubilee church
The journey begins about 25 km from Bologna, where in Sala Bolognese we encounter the Pieve di Santa Maria Annunziata e San Biagio: a rare Romanesque jewel that encompasses more than a thousand years of faith, art and architecture.
Dating from the early medieval period, it is one of the most outstanding examples of the Romanesque-Lombard style in the Bolognese plain.
The sober elegance of the brick structure welcomes visitors to a striking environment, where the following stand out:
The church is open Monday through Saturday until 6 p.m.
Curiosities
Some of the altar reliefs, according to various interpretations, could depict the Celtic god Kernunnos, a symbol of the ancient dialogue between Christian spirituality and pre-Christian roots.
Within ten kilometers from the Pieve di Sala Bolognese you can find the Sanctuary of Santa Clelia Barbieri, in Le Budrie di San Giovanni in Persiceto. It is one of the spiritual stops of Jubilee 2025, as well as a place of deep devotion and inner silence. Here rest the remains of St. Clelia Barbieri, foundress of the Minime dell'Addolorata, the youngest saint to have founded a religious order in the history of the Church.
Nestled in the quiet of the Bolognese countryside, the shrine, a place of recollection and prayer, is a destination for pilgrimages and visits: a place to find inspiration, meditate, ask for graces or simply be enveloped in its prayerful atmosphere. Inside, in addition to the tomb of the saint, one can admire works of sacred art and numerous testimonies of the faithful following graces received over time.
The sanctuary is open daily morning and afternoons.
To visit this sanctuary is to take a true journey through time, entering one of the oldest and most fascinating sacred places in the Emilia region.
Curiosities
In the center of San Giovanni in Persiceto is the so-called “Piazzetta Betlemme” whose name has no religious origin but rather derives from the street where it is located, via Betlemme, in the historic center of San Giovanni in Persiceto. This small square became famous thanks to the artistic interventions of set designer Gino Pellegrini, who transformed the area with trompe-l'œil paintings in the 1980s, also giving it the nickname “Piazzetta degli Inganni.”
Proceeding northward for about 20 kilometers, in Pieve di Cento we find the Sanctuary of the Santissimo Crocifisso; housed inside the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, it is one of the beating hearts of popular devotion in the area.
Among the Jubilee Churches of 2025, this place of worship is deeply linked to the spiritual and social history of the community.
The image of the Crucifix is associated with the medieval Confraternity of Santa Maria dei Battuti, founded between the 14th and 15th centuries in response to a need for collective faith in difficult times. The confraternity members, often from the wealthy classes, supported charitable activities such as assisting pilgrims and the sick poor, as well as funding Franciscan and Dominican preachers.
One of the most engaging expressions of their action was the organization of sacred representations of the Passion, spectacular events that united art, faith and community through sets, costumes and sacred images.
Today, the Sanctuary is a place that continues to convey the power of lived and shared faith, in a striking architectural setting.
The Sanctuary is open daily mornings and afternoons.
Leaving Pieve di Cento and heading toward Castenaso, nestled in the quiet countryside of Villanova, lies the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Pilar, a Baroque treasure chest of collected and timeless charm. Built on land belonging to the Royal Spanish College, the shrine preserves a venerated Marian image created by Giovanni Battista Bolognini in 1699, to which testimonies of grace and popular devotion are linked.
Curiosities
The Sanctuary, which is the last stop on the route, closes the itinerary with a perfect blend of sacred art, historical memory and spirituality.
