Biblioteca di San Giorgio in Poggiale

The former church of San Giorgio in Poggiale preserves the history of a bomb-damaged building transformed into a library of art and history. Michele De Lucchi's installation frames contemporary works by Claudio Parmiggiani and Piero Pizzi Cannella within the historic nave.

Why it matters

Built between 1589 and 1633 to designs by Bolognese architect Tommaso Martelli, San Giorgio in Poggiale served the Servites and later the Jesuits. An air raid on 25 September 1943 partially destroyed the church. It was deconsecrated and narrowly escaped demolition between 1959 and 1962; the Cassa di Risparmio Foundation later acquired and restored it. In 2009 it reopened as the Library of Art and History, combining Renaissance architecture, contemporary design and art.

What to notice

Michele De Lucchi's installation preserves the scale of the nave while integrating shelves and reading galleries. Contemporary works include Claudio Parmiggiani's Campo dei Fiori and Delocazione, and Piero Pizzi Cannella's Cattedrale cycle. The church's sixteenth-century stonework and traces of wartime reconstruction document its layered history. The library's collections include about one hundred thousand volumes, photographic materials and periodicals focused on local history and art history.

Context and history

The church took its name from the street it faced, known as via del Poggiale until 1919. It remained with the Servite fathers until the Napoleonic suppressions, passed under the parish of Santi Gregorio e Siro in 1797 and was transferred to the Jesuits in 1882. After the 1943 bombing, the damaged church was at risk of demolition. Acquisition by the Cassa di Risparmio Foundation secured its restoration and later reuse as a library and cultural institution devoted to Bologna's art and history.