Baroque Days — The enchantment of the 17th and 18th centuries in Medicina and the lands of Bologna
A month of art, music, and architecture from the Emilian Golden Age
About Baroque Days
A widespread review in the heart of Emilian Baroque
The Baroque Days is a widespread cultural review that throughout the month of May celebrates the enchantment of the 17th and 18th centuries in Medicina and the lands of Bologna. Promoted by the Municipality of Medicina and the Cultural Association I Portici di Medicina, with the support of the Cultural Districts of the Metropolitan City of Bologna and the IAT-R of the Bolognese Plain, the event offers a program of nineteen events that intertwine music, painting, and architecture from the Golden Age.
A journey through five municipalities
The project is not concentrated in one place but branches out into an itinerary that touches Medicina, Bologna, Budrio, Pieve di Cento, and San Giovanni in Persiceto, all within the Metropolitan City of Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna. Each stop reveals a fragment of the Emilian Baroque heritage: churches, art galleries, sacred art museums, historic palaces, and collections that house works created between the 17th and 18th centuries.
The protagonists of the Golden Age
The common thread of the review is the great figures of Emilian Baroque art. Among the celebrated protagonists are:
- the sculptor Angelo Gabriello Piò (1690-1769), author of refined silver works and sacred sculpture;
- the architect Alfonso Torregiani (1682-1764), one of the great interpreters of 18th-century Bolognese architecture;
- the composer and organ master from Medicina Elia Vannini (1644-1709), rediscovered through concerts of sacred music dedicated to him.
Music, exhibitions, tours, and conferences
The program alternates baroque music concerts performed by specialized ensembles, guided tours of churches and museums, temporary exhibitions, conferences held by art historians, and walks to discover the hidden treasures of the historic centers. Many events are free to enter, while some museum visits and concerts require a small ticket. Since its inaugural edition in 2026, the review aims to establish itself as an annual event dedicated to the Baroque heritage of the Bolognese lands.
Baroque Days — edition 2026
The inaugural 2026 edition of the Baroque Days enlivened the lands of Bologna for an entire month with a widespread program of nineteen events. The review combined Baroque and sacred music concerts, art exhibitions, guided tours of museums and churches, and in-depth conferences, creating an itinerary to discover the masterpieces of the 17th and 18th centuries in Emilia and the figures of composer Elia Vannini, sculptor Angelo Gabriello Piò, and architect Alfonso Torregiani.
Programme Baroque Days 2026
Saturday, May 2 — Medicina
- 10:30 AM — Auditorium Hall: conference "Itineraries of Baroque Sculpture" with art historian Davide Lipari (free admission).
- 9:00 PM — Church of the Crocifisso: opening concert of the Bologna Baroque Orchestra dedicated to Elia Vannini and Antonio Vivaldi (free admission).
Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3 — Medicina
- 11:30 AM - 6:00 PM — Church of Santa Maria della Salute: exhibition of the silver monstrance by Angelo Gabriello Piò (1752), free admission.
Sunday, May 3
- 10:30 AM — Palazzo Comunale, Medicina: presentation of the CD with compositions by Elia Vannini (free admission).
- 11:30 AM — Church of the Crocifisso, Medicina: sacred music concert by Elia Vannini performed by the Collegium Musicum Classense (free admission).
- 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM / 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM — Domenico Inzaghi Civic Art Gallery, Budrio: special opening (free admission); at 11:00 AM guided tour by reservation.
- 4:00 PM — Historic center of Medicina: walk "The Baroque Wonders of Medicina" with architect Daniele Pascale Guidotti Magnani (free admission).
Saturday, May 9
- 10:30 AM — Davia Bargellini Museum, Bologna: guided tour "Franceschini Revealed" with Mirko Bonora (free admission, by reservation).
- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM / 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM — Museum of Sacred Art, San Giovanni in Persiceto: special opening (ticket 5 euros); at 3:30 PM guided tour (12 euros full price, 8 euros reduced).
- 5:30 PM — Church of the Beata Vergine della Cintura, San Giovanni in Persiceto: concert "Baroque Harmonies" with soprano Margherita Minardi and organist Marco Arlotti (free admission).
Friday, May 15 — Bologna
- 4:00 PM — Palazzo Segni Masetti (Confcommercio Ascom): conference "From Master to Pupil: Carlo Cignani and Marcantonio Franceschini" with Angelo Mazza (free admission).
Saturday, May 16
- 5:00 PM — Graziano Campanini Civic Art Gallery and Luthiery School, Pieve di Cento: walk with viola d'amore and works by Elisabetta Sirani and Domenico Pedrini (free admission).
- 6:00 PM — Corte dei Liutai, Pieve di Cento: Baroque concert by the Tiumó Duo (free admission).
- 8:45 PM — Church of the Crocifisso, Medicina: string orchestra concert by the "Medardo Mascagni" Music School with major Baroque composers (free admission).
Saturday, May 30 — Bologna
- 10:30 AM — Monumental Cemetery of the Certosa: guided tour "A Sunset of Gentle Notes: Bolognese Arts of the Late 18th Century" with Roberto Martorelli (10 euros, 8 euros for Card Cultura holders, by reservation).
Sunday, May 31 — Bologna
- 4:30 PM — Palazzo d'Accursio, Cappella Farnese: closing concert "If love's a sweet passion — The Sweet Sound of the 17th Century" with the Altabella Viola da Gamba Consort and Marcella Ventura, followed by a guided tour of the Vidoniana Gallery (6 euros full price, 4 euros reduced, free with Card Cultura).
Highlights Baroque Days 2026
Prices Baroque Days 2026
Practical information — Baroque Days
Where
The events take place in Medicina (churches of the Crocifisso and Santa Maria della Salute, Palazzo Comunale, Auditorium Hall), Bologna (Palazzo d'Accursio, Davia Bargellini Museum, Monumental Cemetery of the Certosa, Palazzo Segni Masetti), Budrio (Domenico Inzaghi Civic Art Gallery), Pieve di Cento (Graziano Campanini Civic Art Gallery and Corte dei Liutai), and San Giovanni in Persiceto (Museum of Sacred Art).
How to get there
Medicina can be reached by car from Bologna in about 30 minutes via the SS9 Via Emilia and the SP3 San Vitale. By train, it is connected to the Bologna-Portomaggiore line. The other municipalities in the review are easily accessible from the Bolognese capital.
Admission and booking
Numerous events (opening concerts, conferences, walks in the historic center) are free admission until capacity is reached. Some museum visits and concerts require a ticket (from approximately 5 to 12 euros, with reductions). Reservations are required or recommended for many guided tours.
Information
Full program on the website of the Municipality of Medicina (www.comune.medicina.bo.it) and via email at [email protected].
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Where does it take place — Baroque Days
Chiesa del Crocifisso