Church of San Giacomo in Castelfranco Emilia

Situated south of the Via Emilia, between Via Zanasi and Via Tarozzi, the church of San Giacomo was, in ancient times, the second parish church of Castelfranco. The date of its construction is uncertain, although it appears to have existed since the founding of Borgo Franco; what is certain, however, is that the Church of San Giacomo was subordinate to the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. By the end of the 13th century, Castelfranco was already divided into two parishes (Santa Maria to the north of the Via Emilia and San Giacomo to the south), each with its own cemetery. In 1527, the Landsknechts, led by the Duke of Bourbon, destroyed both the Church of San Giacomo and the Augustinian convent; the church was subsequently restored in 1568 by Guarnaschelli. It was not until 1923 that the Archbishop of Bologna decided to merge Santa Maria Assunta and San Giacomo into a single parish, that of Santa Maria Assunta.

The Church of St James has been extended and restored on several occasions; of particular note is the major restoration of the façade in 1910, funded by Monsignor Vincenzo Tarozzi. After the Second World War, however, due to extensive restoration work, the church remained closed until 1971. It houses a highly valuable organ (built in 1743 by Domenico Traeri and restored in 1987) which, together with the building’s remarkable acoustics, makes the church an ideal venue for musical concerts. Comprising a single nave, the church houses, amongst the works displayed on the side altars, a statue of Saint Nicholas by the sculptor Scandellari and a painting depicting the Blessed Virgin of Loreto by the painter Elisabetta Sirani. The Romanesque bell tower, with a square plan, retains its original structure intact.