Voltone del Baraccano

The “Voltone” del Baraccano is an architectural artefact of outstanding scenographic impact, consisting of a deep, angled passage that provides visual contact and a road connection between the portico on via Santo Stefano and the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Baraccano, a church commissioned by Giovanni I Bentivoglio. It is one of the many chapels built next to the city walls, in this case to shelter and protect an image that was considered to have miraculous powers.
The structure of the connection consists of a lunette vault built between 1497 and 1524 and features a façade towards Via Santo Stefano, reconstructed several times but finally by Giuseppe Jarmorini (1779). In the 16th and 17th centuries, this large and convenient shelter became a sought-after place for artists to exhibit their works to the public.