SAN DOMENICO

Piazza San Domenico is cobbled and dominated by two tall columns of the Settecento on top of which are the statues of Saint Dominic and Our Lady of the Rosary.

Here also stands the Church of San Domenico, where the Dominican Order was born and where the saint's remains are kept.

Thechurch was begun soon after the saint's death in 1221. On one side of its Romanesque façade is the reanissance Cappella Ghisilardi, planned by Baldassarre Peruzzi.



Inside the church was restored between 1728 and 1732 by Carlo Francesco Dotti.

You'll see some important works by Nicolò Pisano, Nicolò da Bari, Michelangelo, Guercino, andGuido Reni.

The wooden choir is an outstanding example of Renaissance carving.
It was made by Frà Damiano da Bergamo (1528-40).

The convent next door is also worth visiting for its cloisters (14th, 15th and 16th centuries) and library, planned like a basilica, which dates back to 1466.
Not too far away is the Oratory of the Holy Spirit built in the 15th century.
It is a small building which stand out for its precious façade decorated with terracotta figures and reliefs in shades of warm colors.