Sant'Agostino Church

Founded in the 8th century and originally dedicated to Saint Apollinaris, the church is a fascinating blend of styles and periods: from its ancient Romanesque origins to its subsequent reconstruction in the Lombard Gothic style, right through to the Renaissance and Baroque additions that enrich its structure.

The apses, designed by Filippo Zoboli in 1495, and the bell tower built by Antonio Casotti (1452–1493), bear witness to the architectural vitality of Reggio Emilia in the late Middle Ages.
But it is the Baroque façade, created by Giovan Battista Cattani to a design by Alfonso Torreggiani in 1746, that immediately catches the eye: a harmonious Corinthian order framed by columns and enriched by the statues of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino and Saint William, sculpted by Antonio Schiassi in the 18th century.

The interior, designed by Gaspare Vigarani (1651–1666), is distinguished by its single, wide and light-filled nave, characterised by a simple elegance that enhances the numerous works of art housed within.
Among the masterpieces to admire:

• in the left arm of the transept, the Saint Apollinaris by Giovan Francesco Barbieri, known as Guercino, one of the great masters of 17th-century Emilia;
• in the second chapel on the left, the evocative Madonna della Ghiara by Jacopo Negretti, known as Palma il Giovane;
• in the chancel, the stucco group of the Four Doctors of the Church by Paolo Emilio Besenzi;
• on the entrance wall, the exquisite 14th-century fresco of the Madonna and Child, considered the oldest in the church.

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