The church of San Bartolomeo Apostolo is the parish church of Formigine, in the archdiocese of Modena-Nonantola. A church dedicated to St Bartholomew is known to have existed in the town as early as the fourteenth century. In the sixteenth century the parish was transferred to the fifteenth-century church of San Rocco, which on that occasion was rededicated to St Bartholomew. The building was remodelled and enlarged in 1688, then rebuilt in 1727 and blessed in 1735.
What to see
The façade remained unfinished for almost two centuries: it was completed only in 1911, to a design by Carlo Castiglione. The bell tower was erected in 1740, underwent major restoration works in 1810 and was embellished in 1842.
Inside are kept an altarpiece of Saints Maurus and Anthony Abbot, another of 1737 with St Francis receiving the stigmata, and the crucifix of the high altar. On the altar frontal is a painted oval of St Anthony Abbot, the work of Giovan Maria Cioni.
Visiting
Opening and Mass times should be checked with the parish. During the Second World War the air raids seriously damaged the church, which then needed a major renovation.
Our editors' tip
The name of the church returns a few steps from here. In the archaeological area inside the castle of Formigine you can see the remains of the old parish church of San Bartolomeo «della Rocca», with the medieval cemetery that surrounded it.
