Museo d'arte sacra di San Giovanni in Persiceto

About the museum

The museum is housed in the 17th-century sacristy of the Collegiata di San Giovanni Battista, on Piazza del Popolo in San Giovanni in Persiceto. It holds about fifty paintings of the great Bolognese school from the 15th to the 18th century and over forty liturgical objects, dating from the 14th century onwards.

The most valuable work is the panel of Saint John the Baptist, dedicated to the local patron saint and one of the masterpieces of Francesco Francia. There are also paintings by Alessandro Tiarini, Donato Creti, Ercole Graziani, Antonio Randa and the painter from Persiceto Ercolino De Maria, two early oval paintings by Ubaldo Gandolfi with Saints Philip and James, and the Salomè with the head of the Baptist by the brothers Alberto and Fabio Fabbi, the emblem of the museum.

Among the liturgical furnishings, the series of five parchment choir books from around 1370–1380 stands out. They are decorated with miniatures attributed to the workshop of the Bolognese artist Nicolò di Giacomo and were commissioned for the Collegiata by the Bishop of Bologna, Filippo Carafa. The collection is completed by a rich series of Emilian silverware, including two 16th-century pax tablets and a monstrance by the Bolognese goldsmith Camillo Canali (1743–1796).

Highlights

• Saint John the Baptist by Francesco Francia
• Paintings by Tiarini, Creti, Graziani and Gandolfi
• Salomè by the Fabbi brothers, the museum’s emblem
• Five illuminated choir books from around 1370–1380
• Emilian silverware, pax tablets and a monstrance by Camillo Canali

Operated by

Parrocchia di San Giovanni Battista (Collegiata)

Visitors per year

approx. 1,000

Admission & discounts

Full ticket €2.50, reduced €1.50 (Musei Italiani, updated 09/2025); the first Sunday of the month is not listed as free for this museum.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The Musei Italiani portal states that the museum is accessible to people with disabilities.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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