The Orthodox Church of Saint Basil the Great in Bologna, which is under the canonical jurisdiction of the Patriarchy of Moscow, is the most ancient Orthodox Church in Emilia Romagna, having been founded in 1973 and is situated in the former church of Saint Anne belonging to the Carthusian Fathers. The Church of Saint Anne was founded in 1435 by Cardinal Niccol Albergati, Archbishop of Bologna and member of the Carthusian Order , in order to house a relic of the utmost importance: the head of Saint Anne which he had received as a gift from the King of England. In 1715 the Church was completely renovated and decorated with Baroque frescoes by the famous painter Gioacchino Pizzoli. Passing into State ownership under Napoleon at the beginning of the nineteenth century, it fell into a state of disrepair becoming a shelter for the homeless and even a storehouse for salt and tar. In 1973 the Orthodox Christians were given permission to use it by the Local Authorities and today we can rightly say that it is a little hidden jewel in our beautiful Bologna. A tiny jewel that brings together features of the Eastern Orthodox tradition and those of the Western Baroque in a harmony that will surprise the visitor.
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